No Other
by ChickDocHoliday
Summary: When Agent Simmons meets Doctor Strange she's not so sure she even likes him, let alone having to work with him. Unexpectedly stranded together the two must figure out a way to survive with no help in sight. Spoilers for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 & Doctor Strange (based solely on the movie version of Doctor Strange). Pairing "BioStrange" Doctor Strange/Jemma Simmons
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

" _Beneath a lonesome moon, I hear,_

 _this city croons to me, no other._

 _Releasing all too soon, I'm near;_

 _To her my chest gives in, no other"_

 _~Olafur Arnalds_

* * *

"Well, that's just great," Fitz said annoyed as the group stared at the large wooden doors. He tried them again; nothing.

Coulson took a step forward, nudging Mac and Simmons out of the way and knocked on the door. Again, nothing.

"That usually works," Coulson quipped.

Fitz latched onto the door handles and pulled on them both to no avail. "Well, that's just fine isn't it? Now what?"

Mac glanced over his shoulder. "The axe is back in the car," he offered, "of course it's parked about two blocks away."

Coulson sighed, "Yep, welcome to New York." He turned to look at Jemma. "Ideas Simmons?"

"Only a stupid one."

"No such thing as stupid ideas, or is that questions?.. Anyhow, hit me. What are you thinking?"

"Have we tried calling Mr. Strange?"

"Do we have his number?" Mac asked.

Coulson pulled out his phone.

Fitz ran his hand through his hair. "Why are we bothering? The Darkhold is probably safer with S.H.I.E.L.D.-"

"You're not seriously suggesting that we leave that book with Mace for safekeeping are you Fitz?" Simmon's voice pitched slightly, incredulous.

Fitz met her eyes, "I… no. I guess you're right."

Coulson watched the two of them the way one might watch a tennis match, the ball bouncing from one court to the next as he put away his phone.

The immense oaken doors swung open suddenly of their own accord.

All eyes were on the former director of SHIELD questioningly.

"Daisy patched me through."

Simmons peered inside. The doors had swung open to reveal a large mansion, with lavish furnishings, oriental carpets, marble staircases, and without really realizing what she was doing she walked inside. Drawn by the peaceful, museum-like elegance of the place.

Fitz, Coulson and Mac came piling in after her.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Strange? It's Phil Coulson, we spoke on the phone?"

"Wow, someone is a big Downton Abbey fan," Fitz said as his eyes lingered on the furnishings.

Jemma felt a bit like she'd just stepped into a Harry Potter novel, and had entered Hogwarts. Perhaps a professor's office…

A tall, dark haired man, with a neatly trimmed goatee and a shock of white in his hair walked around the corner.

"Agent Coulson," he smiled and held out a hand for Coulson to shake.

Jemma could not take her eyes off of his somewhat ridiculous ensemble. He wore a long red cape for goodness sake… and some sort of blue Tibetan monk's clothing. On the other hand, it's not as if Captain America looked any less conspicuous in his tights.

"Mr. Strange," Coulson extended his human hand.

"It's Doctor."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Doctor Strange," he amended.

The doors swung shut behind Mac causing him to turn around somewhat alarmed.

"And, this is my team Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons and," he turned around, "Mac."

Doctor Strange glanced at Fitz and then Jemma, and he completely ignored Mac, his eyes lingered on Jemma's instead.

"Um… hello," she said half-heartedly. This was the guy who was supposed to be able to handle the Darkhold, the book that had turned people into ghosts and given Robbie's uncle Eli immense power. Who was he? How was he going to keep this item safe when they weren't even trusting her own agency to keep it safe?

"We were told that you could take this book off of our hands. It's called the Darkhold," Fitz said.

Coulson pulled the book from a satchel, still wrapped up in bandages so that he wouldn't accidentally touch it himself and be tempted to read it. He tried to offer this to Dr. Strange but Strange's eyes were locked on Jemma's.

"Doctor Strange?" Coulson said.

Fitz and Mac exchanged a bewildered look.

"You could take your eyes off of her," Fitz said crossing his arms.

"I could," Doctor Strange said, "but, it's hard not to be drawn to the most intelligent person in the room, besides myself."

"And so modest too," Jemma said.

Doctor Strange blushed slightly, recognizing his mistake and lowered his eyes to the floor with a sort of half-smile etched on his face. "Forgive me," he looked up at Jemma. "I am being remiss as a host; can I offer you something to drink?" He turned to the others. "Tea perhaps?"

"Or maybe something stronger," Mac said under his breath.

"Tea, sure, who doesn't like tea?"

Fitz's face had turned something akin to scarlet in color. Arms folded across his chest, Jemma couldn't blame him, Doctor Strange was a bit… off putting. "Tea is fine. Jemma?"

"Yes, fine." She was ready to dispense of these niceties and give him the stupid book.

"Please, join me in the parlor," Doctor Strange motioned for them to follow him. He led them down a hallway and off to the left into another room that was reminiscent of the Edwardian period.

Jemma's eyes focused on a large white marble fireplace, over it a gold gilt mirror, and two white vases full of peacock feathers. A deep crimson oriental rug on the floor, an oak coffee table and several white settees faced each other. Was this his taste? She wondered as she lingered on the dusty peacock feathers, or did he inherit this building?

"No. I was not the interior decorator here," he stated as he followed her eyes over the many dustables.

Coulson, Mac and Fitz sat down but Doctor Strange did not. After a moment or two Jemma realized he was waiting for her to take a seat before he sat down.

"Now then…" He looked down at the coffee table that she could've sworn was empty a minute prior, now there were several teacups and one shot glass. "Your refreshments."

The cups seemed to fill themselves from underneath. The shot glass filled with a clear liquid.

"Whisky, Mac?" Doctor Strange offered.

Mac's mouth hung slightly open. "How are you doing that?"

"Well," Fitz leaned over, "there must be a device underneath the table. Very clever little parlor trick."

Doctor Strange chuckled, "literally." He glanced over at Jemma with a lopsided smile on his face.

She pretended not to notice.

Coulson groaned. "That was pretty bad."

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Doctor Strange straightened. "So, what can I do for you?"

Coulson set the Darkhold on the coffee table and met Doctor Strange's eyes. "The Darkhold."

"Oh, right."

"We're hoping you can take that off of our hands. Someone said you might be able to…"

Doctor Strange appraised Agent Coulson, and then reached for the tome. "Nick Fury?"

"That's right. Do you know him?"

"In a manner of speaking. I'm aware of him, we've never actually met." He flicked the bandages from the cover to look at the writing, and then reached for it-

Coulson stopped him. "I wouldn't. It's taken control of everyone who has come into contact with it."

Doctor Strange smiled indulgently at him. "But Nick Fury said I was 'okay'."

"Ah… right… We just spent a long time hunting down that book and undoing all the damage it's done, I really don't want to have to do that again in the near future."

Mac polished off his whisky. "Maybe you could open it up after we leave?"

"Uh huh," Doctor Strange smiled, and looked over at Jemma who was still trying to figure out the 'parlor trick' he'd done with the tea. "What do you think Jemma?"

"It's Doctor," she sniffed.

"What?"

"Doctor Jemma Simmons."

"Oh," he blushed again. "Doctor of what?"

"Bio-chemistry."

He bit his lower lip as he nodded, looking as though he was genuinely feeling stupid for using a title when she wasn't using hers, in the meantime he flipped open the Darkhold.

The four of them all sat up in their seats as if they expected some foul beast to jump out.

He ran his hand over the first page, and smiled up at them kindly, then one page flipped by itself as he studied it, and then another.

"Man, I need something stronger…" Mac muttered.

Doctor Strange waved his hand without bothering to look up and Mac's glass refilled itself.

"What the?-" He let go of it.

But the glass didn't hit the floor, it hung there, and slowly floated back up toward Mac.

"What is happening?"

"Who are you?" Coulson asked.

"Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. Didn't Fury tell you that last bit?"

"No, Fury managed to leave that part out."

"Well," he shut the book and met Agent Coulson's gaze. "Would you have come if he had? Or would you have left this in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. or perhaps the Ghost Rider?"

"Hmm, at the moment I'm thinking, hard call."

Doctor Strange stood, Darkhold pulled to his chest. "Well, it will be safe."

"Here?" Coulson motioned about himself.

"No. It was stolen from a… special library, and I intend to see it returned to its place there."

"Special?" Jemma asked.

He was delighted to focus on her face again. "A library of arcane knowledge… in Katmandu."

A question formed on her lips.

"Nepal."

"Yes, I am aware of the location of Katmandu. Thank you _Doctor_."

He closed his mouth sheepishly.

"What I was going to suggest was that the Darkhold needed to be put in a vault somewhere, not a library."

His posture relaxed a little. "It is in a very private collection. I can show you if you'd like?"

Thoughts of a very long plane ride crushed up against Doctor Strange with no one else to talk to sprung immediately to her mind. "Uh, no, no I don't think so."

"Are you certain?" He slipped a ring onto his left hand, "it will only take a minute."

"No, I couldn't possibly-" Before she could finish her sentence she saw him waving his hand in the air, and golden sparks opening what looked to be a portal. And within that portal, looked to be another place.

The group crowded around.

"Oh, no. Now I know I've had too much to drink," Mac said. "This is enough for me, I'm out."

"W, what've you done there?" Fitz couldn't hide his amazement. "That looks like an old temple, but it, it can't be."

Doctor Strange looked directly into Jemma's eyes and smiled. "It's an ancient library."  
"A projection?" Fitz continued to try to grasp what he was seeing.

"No." Doctor Strange stepped into the portal. "Excuse me I need to put this back." And he walked further away from them.

"Where did he go?" Mac leaned in to get a better look.

"I can't be seeing this," Fitz rubbed his eyes and put a hand tentatively into the portal.

Coulson leaned in toward her, and whispered, "Impressed yet?"

"What?"

He smiled at her kindly. "Because I'm pretty certain that he's trying to impress you."

She blanched. "Him?!" Ew.

"So you're not impressed?"

"Well, yes this is rather impressive. Honestly…" she stared at the portal before her. "I don't know what to make of it."

"But you don't like him?"

"Of that I'm sure."

"Really?" He chuckled.

"Sir, I can tell when I immediately dislike someone I've just met." She watched as Doctor Strange came back into view, the sound of his footfalls making a distinct sound against the ancient stone floor. He had to be in a different place, it just didn't make any sense. Maybe he'd laced their drinks with some sort of drug? "Egotistical… jerk…"

"Maybe. But, he clearly doesn't feel the same way about you."

Simmons met Coulson's eyes with a look of horror.

"There we go," he smiled as he stepped back through the portal into the parlor. "All safe and sound, back in its place."

"Impressive," Coulson said glancing over at Jemma, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, yes, _very_ impressive," she said thinking about punching Coulson in the arm. "Very impressive indeed."

Doctor Strange smiled at her, and blushed a little touching his own face with one shaking hand, and then stifling it with his other one. "So, if no one wants to join me in Katmandu I'm just going to close it up?"

Jemma's eyes followed his hands, curious.

"You were just in Katmandu?" Mac clarified. "Just now? You traveled through that…"

"Portal."

"That, portal, to another country?"

"That's how it's done yes," Doctor Strange said absently as he closed the portal. "I can send you back to your base that way if you'd like me to take you?"

"No, I don't think Director Mace would let that go unaddressed. Also, we left the car parked around the block."

"Well, maybe just one of you then? Jemma… I mean, Dr. Simmons?"

Her eyes refocused on the most annoying man in the room.

"Would you like me to take you back to your base?"

"Uh… I'm quite certain Director Mace would definitely notice if I came back by portal. And I have to take a lie detector test once a week so, no, probably not a good idea."

"Oh… I see."

She recognized the sound of a man who had just had his hopes dashed, and watching him clasp and unclasp his hands which were, as she now noticed, perpetually shaking, she felt a little bad. What was going on with him?

"This is too Harry Potter shit for me," Mac said as he started toward the door.

Fitz brushed past Doctor Strange, but then stopped. "But… how did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Years of study and practice."

"You studied this… _witchcraft_?"

Doctor Strange acknowledged this with a small smile.

Fitz was still shaking his head as if trying to understand it while walking toward the exit.

"Thank you," Coulson extended his hand, which Doctor Strange shook. "We're in your debt, if you ever need anything don't hesitate to call."

"Anything? I will. And thank you for returning the Darkhold, I promise we will keep it safe."

"Good." He turned and walked toward the door, "Simmons you coming?"

Jemma thought she was going to sneak past Doctor Strange while his attention was focused on Agent Coulson, but no, Coulson had decided to point out she was leaving. "Yes," she called to him, her voice pitching.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Dr. Simmons," Doctor Strange extended one trembling hand, which she took just to be polite.

"Jemma. It's just Jemma."

This seemed to be music to his ears, he visibly relaxed. "Stephen. You can call me… Stephen."

"Oh, all right." Well that was a little more like it. This whole _Doctor Strange_ formality was a mouthful, and set him up as if he was above everyone else. "Stephen."

He grinned.

"It was nice to meet you."

"If you need anything… your team, that is, I'm happy to help."

"Don't get many visitors here?" she ventured.

He released a little laugh that sounded as if she'd hit the nail on the head. "Uh… yes, no… The multiverse keeps me busy, but I'm always happy to talk to others who share a passion for knowledge."

"Oh well, Fitz seems very interested in some of the fascinating things you've shown us today. I think he'd love to come back."

"Oh…" he feigned delight. "Oh, yes, that would… that would be fine."

She smirked.

"Jemma!" Fitz was suddenly at the door again, "are you coming?"

It was then that she realized they were still holding hands. And his hand was very warm, and slender. Definitely an artist's hand-

She let go of his hand. "Yes, I'm coming!"

He was staring down expectantly at her, hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Well, goodbye then."

"Goodbye Jemma."

* * *

 **Discography~**

 **The Doctor Strange Soundtrack by Michael Giacchino**

" **Roslyn" by Bon Iver & St. Vincent**

" **So Close" by Olafur Arnald (featuring Arnor Dan)**

" **A Hundred Reasons" by Olafur Arnald (featuring Arnor Dan)**

" **No Other" by Olafur Arnald (featuring Arnor Dan)**

 **"Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes  
**

 **"Mercy" by Shawn Mendes**

 **"Wild Horses" by The Sundays**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

 **One month later…**

"Fitz!" Coulson called as he entered the lab.

Jemma looked up from the screen she'd been staring at. The lab was empty except for her.

"Fitz not around?" He concluded as he moved toward her.

"That's right," she feigned a smile. "He's with Dr. Radcliffe at the moment." Her voice sounded strained even to her.

"That's a problem."

"Why, what's up?"

He leaned in toward her. "We found _this_ at the Roxxon labs," he took a phial of a dark liquid from his pocket.

"Darkforce?" she hissed, glancing about the empty room to see if anyone heard her.

He nodded, "or Zero Matter."

"Wha-"

"I always found Peggy Carter's old files pretty interesting reading."

She let that sink in for a moment. "Well, what did you need Fitz for? This clearly is work for a chemist," she said nearly reaching for it.

He slipped it back into his pocket.

"And I certainly don't think your pocket is the safest place for _that_!"

"No probably not." He stood, "I was going to send it over to Doctor Strange."

She had thought they wouldn't have to deal with him again. It had been nearly a month since she'd met him, and with the cleanup of Roxxon labs in progress she hadn't given him too much thought. Just maybe when she'd tried to force Daisy to wear her gauntlets, when she was looking after Daisy's fractured arms, then Stephen came to mind. She wondered what had happened to him, why his hands shook, if it was just a nervous habit or… something more…

"I doubt this little phial is all of the Darkforce left over there, if Mace finds out about it S.H.I.E.L.D. will be all over it, and I don't know if we're really the safest place to house it."

She held up one hand as if to stop the outpouring of information. "You know I can't hear this. My lie detector tests!"

"That's why I wanted Fitz to handle this."

"Well, why don't you just take them over there yourself?"

"I'm supposed to report back to Mace-" He checked his watch, "In two minutes."

"What?! If they find that on you you'll be in so much trouble."

"Yeah, I know. You don't think they'll check my pockets do you?" he said.

"Alright, I'll take it." Jemma stood up, annoyed. "I'll take it to Bleecher St."

"Are you sure?" He proffered it to her. "I think Fitz is going to be envious."

She snorted. "Doubtful, he has Dr. Radcliffe to keep him busy."

A quizzical look passed over Coulson's face.

"Two minutes until your meeting with the Director," she reminded him.

"Oh right." He hurried out the door, "Thank you Simmons."

She nodded. _177A Bleecher St. hurrah…_ She let her head fall back onto the back of her chair and sighed unhappily. Stephen Strange…

Hours later she found herself once again in New York City rounding the corner of Bleecher St. His mansion with the large round window at the top, with some sort of mandala-like design stood out beside the regular brownstones. It had obviously been standing there for a century as these other places had been building up around it.

She swallowed as she drew near. For some reason her throat felt dry. Must be a little cold coming on or something. It was a bit chilly. She pulled her jacket closer to her body and ascended the steps. Before she could knock the doors opened for her.

"Welcome back to the Sanctum Sanctorum Jemma."

She looked up to find Doctor Strange with his red cape flowing around him, she'd forgotten how rich his voice was, or how dark his hair… She suddenly felt like she wanted to run.

"Oh, hello," she smiled tightly and forced herself up the stairs.

"What brings you back?" He smiled at her hopefully.

"Just a, just an errand from Coulson."

He turned to one side and motioned for her to come inside.

She swallowed… _darn cold_ … "Thank you. It is a bit nippy outside today."

"Oh, yes it is." He scanned the street as if he hadn't been outside at all, at least not outside in New York today. "A bit cloudy too."

 _Are we really having a conversation about the weather?_ "I'll bet Katmandu isn't this dreary today."

He chuckled as he shut the doors behind her. "No, it's not."

She faced him. "I was just… joking. You weren't actually there today were you?"

"Oh," he released sort of a sigh of pent up energy. "Yes, I was earlier. It's a very restful place, I like to visit the library there… Talk to Wong." He pointed at her coat, "Can I take that?"

"Uhh… yes. Right." She slid out of her light wool peacoat. "It must get lonely around here? It seems quiet."

"Sometimes it is." He hung up her coat in an antique wardrobe.

"That doesn't lead to Narnia I hope?" she said feeling a little foolish after it had come out of her mouth, and wondering why the heck she'd said that anyhow. Again though, this place did resemble that mansion the kids had to go live in before they were whisked off the Narnia so… it was not as if she wasn't on point.

"What? No," he smiled a bit sheepishly as they walked down the hallway and into the same extravagant parlor they'd spoken in when she was last here.

"Tea?"

"Yes, perfect day for it I suppose."

He nodded as they sat down on opposing settees. A moment later she had a cup of tea in her hand and she nearly dropped it.

"Oh my goodness!"

Doctor Strange reached across to steady her hands. Cupping her own within his equally trembling hands.

"Oh," he said pulling away as if he'd forgotten that he could not make the situation any better by using his hands.

"It's all right, I've got it."

His mouth was tight as he sat back down.

Jemma set the dripping teacup back down on a saucer that also seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The feeling of his hands holding her own hand felt almost electric, and comforting, and left her very confused.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have startled you."

"No, no it's fine."

He lowered his gaze to the tea, and said softly. "So, what errand did Coulson send you for?"

"Oh right. I'd almost forgot." Jemma fished the phial of Darkforce out of her purse, "Silly, really, to have put it in here. I just scolded Agent Coulson for keeping it in his pants' pocket," she breathed and handed it over to Stephen. "It's called Darkforce… or Zero Matter."

Doctor Strange held it up to the light that was filtering in through a prismatic window behind her. A look of complete fascination on his face. "Where did this come from?"

"Roxxon Industries. As a matter of fact we suspect there's a lot more of it there. S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently doing a cleanup of the buildings and Coulson felt you should take a look at it before S.H.I.E.L.D. gets their hands on it." She moved to take a sip of her tea and discovered a freshly folded hand towel sitting just off to one side of it. How was he doing that?

"It's called _transmutation_ ," he said nonchalantly.

"What?"

He met her eyes. "The tea. The hand towel."

"Oh."

"Regardless of what Mr. Fitz believed, there is no device under the coffee table that fills up cups."

"Doctor."

"Hmm?"

"Dr. Leo Fitz."

"I did not realize," he squirmed a bit under her gaze. "Not going to let me live that down are you?"

She smiled, "No, I don't think so."

He went back to appraising the Darkforce while she took in the deep green paintings of forests and brightly colored flowers and fruit baskets hanging on the walls. It smelled pleasantly of cinnamon in his house. Or was that coming from him?

Her eyes met his unexpectedly, he was staring at her. She choked on her tea… that was clever.

"Um…" He uttered, "I think we need to retrieve this from Roxxon Industries as soon as possible."

"Why?" she coughed, still half choking on that damned tea. "What is it?"

He stood. "Darkforce."

She also stood. Apparently they were going somewhere. "Yes, but what is it really?"

"You won't understand," he said glancing back over his shoulder as he strode away.

She followed. "I'm a doctor of bio-chemistry, I think I might." Why was he always so annoyingly arrogant? There were moments, actual moments where she thought he was starting to be normal and then he'd do something weird or say something so off putting… Jemma rolled her eyes.

"It's part of the Dark Dimension, and very dangerous. With it a portal could be opened and Dormammu could come through."

"What?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "I told you that you wouldn't understand."

She put her hands on her hips. "Where are we going?"

"To put this somewhere safe." He continued walking through the mansion which turned out to be really enormous.

She followed him up the stairs and into the room at the very top, and now she was able to see the large round mandala-like window from the inside.

"I've wondered what this looked like up close."

He set the phial down on a large desk, which was cluttered with books and scrolls.

"Wait, that's where you're going to leave it? That's where it's going to be safe? On your desk?"

He looked from her face back down at the phial.

"Well, you might as well put it back in my purse or Coulson's pocket."

"I'd rather not put it in Coulson's pocket," he said.

She stared at him.

He just shook his head. "It was a joke."

"What is a Dormammu?"

"We need to go to Roxxon Industries and gather up all of the Darkforce." He slid a ring onto his left hand. "I'll create a portal."

He stalked off, and she followed, back down the stairs and into an area that looked exactly like a museum, with many antiques in display cases. Helmets, staffs, wands, swords, armor, braziers… All manner of weaponry and artifacts.

"What is this place?"

"This, is the place where Doctor Strange is about to lose his life."

They both wheeled around.

Another man was in the room with them. His green robes obscured his face from view.

"Mordo," Doctor Strange muttered as if trying to confirm this to himself.

"Stephen," he acknowledged Doctor Strange politely and then came flying at him, staff in hand. As he swung it at Doctor Strange, it crackled with a brilliant orange light.

Stephen turned to look back at Jemma momentarily. "Go," he said urgently.

Jemma took several tentative steps backward, rummaging around in her purse for her gun.

He dodged Mordo's staff, and pulling his hands slowly apart drew out, what looked like cords of orange light, that became like a whip that crackled and moved like tendrils through the air, striking Mordo squarely in the chest and knocking him back.

Jemma gave up on the weapon and took off on an all-out run down a hall in the opposite direction of the room with the relics. She'd hadn't been in this part of the mansion before. This was nothing but a beautiful wood paneled hall, with no doors, not much of anything. Just a settee here and there, and wall sconces… But there was light up ahead of her, light coming from three glass doors. As she neared them she wasn't certain what she was seeing. One window had a jungle outside of it, the next an ocean and the next a desert…

She stopped as she came to the dead end of the hallway. What was this? Were these like the fake window Eric Koenig had at the Providence base in Canada? She reached up and turned the dial of the one in the middle, now the ocean was replaced with a snow-capped tundra.

There was a rough sound of struggle from where she'd come. Glass breaking, and something being knocked into the wall. Then an explosion rocked the very floor beneath her feet causing her to topple over. She grabbed into her purse; her gun… the phone… either one of them would be good right about now-

Phone. Okay.

She could hear Doctor Strange cry out in anger and pain and then more glass shattered.

She managed to dial Coulson.

"Coulson here-"

"Run!" Doctor Strange came flying down the hallway, literally, flying. Behind him there was a bright yellow light, growing larger by the second.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried out and opened the door in front of her, Doctor Strange slammed into her body, as an explosion pushed them forward, and the two of them tumbled down into the snow, tangled up together, six feet beneath them.

She sat up slowly, trying to shake off the stars she was seeing after their heads had knocked into one another's. Doctor Strange was on his feet already, racing back toward the open door that led back to the Sanctum Sanctorum. He leaped into the air, but nothing happened.

"My cloak!" he slapped at his shoulders with one hand.

It billowed in the doorway, a world away from them and then Mordo's aggravated face appeared there as well, as if he was fighting something… the cloak?

Stephen's eyes widened and a sudden surge of urgency carried him forward faster, "No!"

Jemma was now on her feet, wobbling toward the doorway as well.

And then the door was gone.

Doctor Strange stopped in his tracks, staring at the spot where the door _had_ been. He closed his left hand carefully and began an incantation of some sort, waving his right hand in a circle the way he had when he'd opened up the portal to Katmandu, but nothing happened.

"My slingring…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

Simmons watched him drop to the ground and begin padding the snow. "What just happened? Where are we?"

He met her eyes panicked. "My slingring is gone. I can't create portals without it."

Jemma snatched her purse from the snow and reached inside for her phone. She found her elusive gun. Keys, Tic-tacs, Purell, Band-Aids, a small package of Kleenex, her wallet… She turned the whole thing over and deposited the contents into the snow, Stephen Strange watching, wide-eyed. Very little else fell out… a pen, a pack of gum, a flat flashlight… "My phone must've fallen on the floor back at your house," she said trying to keep calm, but there was a definite tinge of worry in her tone.

Not that she felt all that foolish about being scared, Doctor Strange, the man who had the door-portals in his actual house looked positively unhinged.

"There's no way back?" Jemma's eyes widened.

He continued to search the snow for his slingring refusing to look at her. "There must be."

"The door's shut, you can't find your portal ring and we can't call for help."

"And The Cloak of Levitation is back at the New York office," he supplied. "So, we can't fly either."

The wind whipped against her body, picking up loose snow and freezing her fingers. She hadn't realized how cold it was until they stopped running, and falling and freaking out for a minute. Now, in that moment of quiet desperation, she felt it. Oh, why had she bothered taking off her coat back at the mansion?

He glanced over at her standing there shivering; swallowed, and got to his feet. He waved one hand in the air as if it was nothing.

Jemma was instantly warm.

"What did you?-"

Doctor Strange was wearing a long wool coat, black gloves and boots. She looked down at her own body. Boots, parka, sort of adorable mittens with purple snowflakes…

"Uh… thank you. Cute mittens…"

He lowered his eyes and smiled a little. "I could do gloves if you'd prefer, something like mine."

"How do you do this?" she asked awestruck. "Is it science?"

He shrugged. "I didn't learn it in a lab."

"That doesn't mean it isn't some sort of very advanced science."

"Believe what you like."

"Don't you understand what you're doing?" she pressed.

He sighed, "I'm a Master, but I'm really still new at all of this. I'm a novice really. But I learn fast, and due to… unforeseen job openings I ended up as the Master of the New York Sanctum. So, to answer your question, no, I don't fully understand it either. It's magic for all intents and purposes."

She shook her head and stared out into the flat snow covered land around her. "Where are we?"

"On a tundra."

She gritted her teeth, but smiled nonetheless, trying not to get annoyed. "Yes, I see that."

After a fruitless search of the ground around them he gave up and looked about them. "We'd better start walking, it will get dark soon and we need to find some sort of shelter."

 _Shelter?_ "Wait, can't you just use your magic to make something?"

He tilted his head to one side. "Maybe, I've never tried it."

"Well, which direction?"

"You choose one. This whole thing was my fault, so you decide," he said stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Jemma pointed and they began walking. "This isn't your fault."

"It happened at my house, with an old friend-turned-enemy dropping in."

"Well, it's not as if you were expecting him." She took a couple paces forward and then a question formed in her mind. "You weren't were you?"

He shook his head.

"Well, then stop beating yourself up about it. It was just a fluke I was with you when… Mordo… came to visit."

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"Really." She stopped and turned toward him. "This sucks, don't get me wrong, but it's not your fault."

He looked at her.

"Really," she said. "It's not going to help us regardless."

He nodded and began trudging through the foot of snow in the direction she had been heading.

"Let's see," Jemma said optimistically. "We know we're on a tundra, so that could mean we're in-"

"Siberia."

"Or… Greenland."

"Hmm, good one. Maybe Alaska?" Stephen hugged his sides.

"Hey, maybe we're in Canada?!" She jumped up in the air a little at this idea and spun to face him as the wind picked up around them.

"That would be great. We just need to find people."

"Yeah, Canada would definitely be the best. My language skills are a little lacking. Do you know any other languages?"

"Sanskrit."

She laughed, "Seriously though."

He met her with a solemn look.

"Oh, you aren't joking." Her smile slipped.

"Latin too," he added as he focused on where he was going. Somewhere into the frozen whiteness before him where the horizon line was barely distinguishable.

"Well, those certainly aren't languages you need much nowadays are they," she mused.

"I needed the Sanskrit to learn spells, and the Latin for medical school."

"So you are an actual doctor? That's not just some fancy title you… _sorcerers_ are using these days?"

His expression was that of someone whose patience was being tried. "No, I'm a real doctor."

"Of what?"

He opened his arms. "A doctor, a… a physician."

"A general practitioner?"

"I'm… I was, a neurosurgeon."

"Really?" Her voice pitched. He clearly held her interest now. "Have I heard of you?"

He sighed, his face flushed. She had obviously irritated him. "If you Googled me, I would come up."

She smiled at the back of his head because he'd somehow gotten ahead of her. "Yes, I remember your name. You were on Hydra's list."

"What?" He spun around.

"Hydra used to have this algorithm they were using to keep track of anyone who had a potential to be a threat to their organization. Steve Rogers destroyed it but I've seen some of the names, Stephen Strange was one of them." She walked past him now that he had completely stopped in his tracks. "I'd completely forgotten about it but that mention of using Google brought it all back."

"Wait, so… so I was on some Hydra list… When was this?"

"Years ago now."

The car crash flashed through his mind. He subconsciously flexed his ruined hands. "What did they do to the people on the list?"

"Neutralize them I would guess. If you were in an organization like Hydra, and you were monitoring threats that could dismantle your little group, wouldn't you get rid of them?"

He released a low moan, and when she looked back she could see him examining his shaking hands.

Simmons took a couple steps back toward him. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

He ignored her and brushed past into the cold swirling snow…

"Doctor Strange?!" she called after him. He was moving rather fast now. "Doctor Strange!"

He stopped but didn't look at her. After several moments Jemma had managed to catch up to him, but before she could address him he started walking again.

She hadn't realized how tall he was until now that his long legs were outpacing her with ease. Jemma decided to just give up on matching his pace and fell along behind him. Obviously he didn't want to discuss whatever was bothering him. She had no idea if she'd said the wrong thing or if he was preoccupied with blaming himself with this whole scenario but it wasn't as if he could keep this up forever. They were stuck there, together, at some point he'd have to communicate with her, or in the very least, make eye contact again. Kind of funny how she had wished not to be the one flying to New York to deliver the phial of Darkforce to him only a short time ago, and now she was hoping he'd talk to her. Prior to Coulson's visit she had wanted to forget he existed.

Fitz on the other hand, he had been astounded by Doctor Strange's magic… or whatever was going on there. He was looking for another excuse to visit. She wondered how Fitz was doing… She wondered if Coulson had heard the struggle in the background and was on his way to the Sanctum to make sure she was all right. Fitz probably didn't even know what she was up to. Simmons frowned, he was probably still with Dr. Radcliffe.

She had begun to keep her eyes on Doctor Strange's footprints. She burrowed into the hood of her parka, and let her head hang down for warmth. Her shadow, which she'd been watching as she trudged forward, was beginning to disappear. The snow was turning gray.

Jemma lifted her eyes to Doctor Strange's form in front of her. It had gone dark. The sky was a large black cloud now.

"Oh, that doesn't look good…"

He looked up, apparently he'd been lost in thought himself, and stopped moving.

She scanned their surroundings. Off to the left there were some outcroppings of rock. "Maybe there's a cave?"

Stephen glanced back at her uneasily and nodded.

Jemma took the lead this time trying to hurry as the snow was coming down harder, and the wind was beginning to pick up. She could hear it making a groaning sound as they neared the rocks. Her hands felt heavier all of a sudden and she realized her little mittens were now heavy gloves.

"Wha-" She peered over her shoulder to find Doctor Strange right behind her, "Thank you." Her voice was almost completely lost in the heavy gale.

She saw his lips move in response but heard nothing.

Jemma put out her hands and ran them along the flat gray rock, there was so much snow flying directly into her eyes that she could barely see.

Stephen fell into her, and nearly knocked her over. She felt his hands scrambling for purchase on her back.

"I'm sorry," he said gripping both of her shoulders, making it rather difficult for her to move.

As her hands explored the large rock, it fell away and she realized there was the small mouth of a cave at her feet.

"A cave!"

They crouched down and examined it.

Doctor Strange conjured two beautiful glowing mandalas of light at his fists and moved into the cave first. Jemma followed uncertain if she wanted to run into a bear. She couldn't really imagine what else could be living in there. Not likely to be any snakes on a tundra… so that was at least encouraging.

The light from his magic was bright enough to see inside, and she could see exactly how small and empty the cave was. It was just a small hole in the side of the outcropping really, barely large enough for the two of them, but it was at least out of the snowstorm.

Doctor Strange was pressed up against the back wall of the cave and Jemma struggled to get in behind him.

"Here," he said, within the cave it was much easier to hear, "you go inside and I'll put myself at the entrance."

"Um, yes… yes, right," she hesitated as she tried to move forward but there was barely any space with which to move.

He extinguished the spell he'd woven and attempted to climb over her body, it was impossible without getting really close.

She watched as he planted his right arm on one side of her, and edged past, snow falling from his dark hair. His warm body brushed hers, his soft wool coat smelled of cinnamon… So, that was him and not his mansion after all.

He seemed determined not to look at her while he tried to squeeze through.

"I hope we don't get stuck like this," she quipped nervously. "Although you do smell rather nice."

He chanced a look at her face, and then looked away swiftly as if he were about to say something, but changed his mind. "Um…"

"It's all right, I'll just suck in my gut."

He chuckled at this. "I could conjure butter."

She released a hiss of laughter that was just at his ear… "No, please don't."

"Why did I think this would work?"

"Just keep going."

"I don't know if I can."

She tried to pretend his body wasn't completely flush with her own. He was much more muscular than she'd imagined. His thighs were like rocks.

"You are very… well formed…" _Well formed? Good heavens Jemma._ She could feel his heart beating now, she had to come up with something less exciting. "So, you must work out regularly."

"I do yes," he countered. He sounded almost relieved to say something completely mundane. "Do you work out? You must. I mean, you look great- I mean, like you do… work out daily I mean."

"Only three times a week," she managed to squeak out.

"That's a good routine." He struggled to pull himself a little further to the right.

"Right… Fitz is my boyfriend," she blurted.

He nodded after a moment. "Oh."

"Yes, it took us forever to get together, what with me stranded on another planet, but it finally worked out."

"What?" He turned to meet her eyes genuinely interested.

"Oh right, yes I was teleported to another planet. And I had to survive there for eight months. It's a really long story."

"How did you get back?"

"Fitz. He figured out how to bring me back," she said her smile failing a little at the thought of Will dying there alone, to save her life. And then she thought of how much she really owed Fitz, and then she remembered how he'd lied to her about working on AIDA with Radcliffe. And even though every fiber of her being knew that she was just being silly she couldn't help feeling annoyed and maybe even a little bit jealous. He was basically never around anymore…

"Well, I'm glad."

Jemma woke from her introspection and met Stephen's eyes. He had a forced smile plastered over his face.

"I'm glad you came back and that Fitz is a good man."

"Yes," she smiled. "He is a good man."

"I could've found you using inter-dimensional portals…"

 _Was this jealousy?_ Jemma wondered, or was he about to launch into his usual arrogant bravado because he was just arrogant? Or… were these things somehow intertwined? Like their legs…

"Well, you see Fitz doesn't have any magical abilities, he has to rely on his wits," she said defensively.

"Oh, and so do I. You don't think I just woke up one day able to work magic do you? No, that's not how it works I assure you."

"I have no idea how it works," she said huffily pawing at him to get herself dislodged. "You've done this on purpose."

He sighed. "Yes, because I was trying to get to the mouth of the cave. Certainly not because I wanted us in this ridiculous situation."

"Oh my goodness," she pushed against him. "Get off of me!"

His eyes moved up and to the left, and it looked as if something had just occurred to him. "I have an idea."

She watched him wave his hand, and a moment later her parka was gone. "Oh!"

They were both down to their regular clothing.

He struggled to budge past her but still could not quite move.

Their eyes met as if silently acknowledging something.

"Don't even think it," she said.

A heartbeat later he was standing in his boxer-briefs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

"Oh!" Jemma clasped at her own clothing, which she was happy to discover, was still on, and then back at Doctor Strange. She was sort of horrified that she no longer needed to use her imagination to find out just what he looked like under his blue monk's clothing. Her eyes traveled down his defined chest, pressed against hers. He had definitely been working out.

He seemed stalled in his progress, and then she realized he was watching her face as she was staring at his naked form. Jemma hesitated to meet his gaze, but finally had to concede that he was looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly. He looked away as soon as she lifted her eyes. _Thank heavens._ She wasn't quite certain what she was going to do if he had actually stared back.

"Do not conjure butter."

He chuckled. "No… It wouldn't work anyway with your clothes on."

"Oh my god." She tipped her head back against the wall, which wasn't very far because this was such a cramped place. "I would say this is the most absurd situation I've ever been in but it honestly can't be."

"Really? I think I must be leading a sheltered life." He grabbed onto the wall to the right of her head and pulled as hard as he could, this time though, his body managed to move against hers. His left hand maneuvered over Jemma's head and he forced his torso loose, and as soon as his upper half was through, he was able to drag the rest of himself over and basically fell to the cave floor in a mostly naked heap.

She knew she should not be ogling his body but it was hard not to. He had a really well muscled, 'V' shaped back and slender hips…

He sat there panting for a minute, catching the cold wind in the face, as Jemma extricated herself from the wall.

"Let's not do that again," she suggested.

"Freezing," he hissed as his clothes and her parka reappeared and then he waved his hands before him in a precise pattern, and produced another glowing orange mandala of light, which he set at the cave mouth and then placed his back to it, closing off the wind with his body.

"What will that do? Will it keep us warm?" Simmons asked as she got down on her hands and knees and sat down in front of him.

"It should protect us from any unwanted visitors, ie: bears."

"Or… Mordo?"

He peered over his shoulder. "I doubt we'll see him again but if he does decide to drop in I hope he brings my slingring back."

"Oh…" She tucked the parka down over her knees, absently.

"I'm… sorry about that," he said motioning to the area they'd just spent the last ten minutes wedged in.

"Water under the bridge," she said lightly. "You must have a really good workout routine."

A lopsided smile etched onto his face and his mouth opened briefly then he pressed his fingers to it, as if to stop himself. His eyes met hers.

Simmons' eyes lingered on his for a moment, and then moved down to the shaking hand effectively stopping him from saying whatever it was he had decided against saying. She hadn't noticed before, but now she realized that there was a long scar running the length of every finger on the back of his hand, and small round scars evenly placed over the back of his hand and on every finger as well. Could be symbolic, but most likely she was looking at some sort of surgical scars.

He followed her line of sight to his own trembling hand. "Car accident," he said softly, "which is why I'm not a surgeon anymore."

"Nerve damage."

"Extensive nerve damage."

She held out her hand, "May I have a look?"

Doctor Strange straightened up, and tentatively put his hands in hers.

Jemma set one of his hands down on her lap and cupped his left hand in her hands, now it was obvious to her that she was looking at scars where the pins had held things together. She slowly turned over his hand. "How many-"

"Surgeries?"

"Yes."

"Seven."

"And none of them improved your hands?"

"Not beyond this. I can use them, but I can't do any precision work at all, for obvious reasons," he laughed a little. "You should see my penmanship."

"And they tremble all the time?"

"Constantly," he sighed. "It's really irritating."

"But, you're a… sorcerer right? Can't you fix them by using magic?"

He looked down at his hand on her thigh, and the other in her hand contemplatively. "I could, but that would mean giving up on everything else I've learned."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled at her. "I could take power from someplace called _the dark dimension_ , it's where the darkforce comes from. That would heal me. But, by doing that I'd have to spend all of my magical ability, focusing all of the time, on making my hands good again. I would get my old life back, my old career… I could operate again. All of it. But I couldn't be Master of the New York Sanctum. I couldn't use my magic for anything but myself."

She found herself listening to him, her head tilting to one side, eyes slowly roving over the contours of his face, cheekbones, cute little mouth, chin that crinkled up when he seemed emotional… maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Maybe that was one of the most selfless, poignant things she'd ever heard in her entire life…

"I think I've misjudged you."

His eyes met hers, and then her lips, and then he swallowed and looked down at his hands. "I doubt it. I was secretly hoping you were going to tell me that S.H.I.E.L.D. had developed some new surgery or device to help me restore my hands."

She clasped his hand in hers, reassuringly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting that."

His eyes were wet when he lifted his head again.

"And you never know, S.H.I.E.L.D. is always developing new treatments and devices. If we do find something, you will be the first person I tell."

Stephen wiped his eyes hastily with his other hand. "Thank you."

"Okay," she smiled and set his left hand down on his knee gently.

When she turned away he glanced down at it, as if it had suddenly taken on some other quality that he didn't want to rub off.

"It was not all that long ago that I developed a pair of special gauntlets for my friend who is always fracturing her arms. They do seem to help, so you never know, I might be able to come up with something similar."

"Quake."

"Why, yes. How did you know that?"

"Just a guess."

"Really? Well, that's a very unlikely guess but all right, if you say so," she said as she grabbed her purse.

He laughed a little.

"So…" She opened up her purse. "Tic tac?"

"Um, what?"

"Well, I'm rather hungry you see and this is the only food item I have on me." She figured she'd ration it, so she put only one in her mouth but as she glanced down at the floor it had been utterly transformed, there was a full dinner before her, complete with red tablecloth and candles.

Doctor Strange was leaning back against the cave mouth looking like the cat who'd just swallowed the canary.

Jemma lifted an apple from a bowl on the makeshift picnic that was spread before her. "Is this real?"

"It's real," he said. His voice was rich and pleased with himself.

She bit into it. "How…?"

He folded his arms and grinned roguishly at her.

Jemma lifted her water glass. "No wine?"

"I thought, given the circumstances, we should try to keep our wits about us. Do you want wine?"

"No, this is probably for the best," she grinned back at him and took a sip.

"Scandinavian Steak and Potatoes?" he said lifting the silver lid from one plate. "Mushroom Risotto with Peas? Orange Pistachio-Stuffed Grilled Scallops? Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Herbed Brown Butter? Lamb Chops with Blackberry Chutney? I wasn't sure what you liked. I hope you aren't vegan. I can redo it if you are."

"Oh. My. Gosh! Is there a gourmet restaurant somewhere missing several main courses?"

He smiled to himself. "No."

"This looks spectacular!"

"Picnic on the Tundra," he said piling some of the food onto his own plate. "Help yourself."

"Wow, just amazing."

"You should see what I can do with the Eye of Agamotto."

She scooped some gnocchi onto her plate. "Oh, someone's eye?"

He shook his head. "It's a relic. A powerful one."

"Can I see it someday?"

His expression opened up at this idea. "Why, yes. I'd be happy to show it to you." His eyes lingered on her face for several moments. "When we get back."

"Yes…" She'd nearly forgotten, they were not actually eating in a fancy restaurant at all, or even at her workplace, which was dark and dingy enough as it was, no they were stuck in a very small cave, no more really than a crevasse just large enough for two people… out in the middle of a tundra somewhere. They had no phone and no means of getting back to the base except on foot.

She wondered if Fitz knew she was missing by now.

"Dessert?" he smiled at her, hand poised in the air.

"Hmm?" She woke from her revelry. "No, I don't think I can fit anymore in. That was really good."

"All right."

She took one last swig of water and set down her glass, a minute later it was gone… It was all gone. Food, dishes, candles, tablecloth…

It was dark.

"I think we could use those candles."

A candle wall sconce sprung up out of nowhere.

As she admired the light fixture he said, "I'd create a fire but there's so little room I think we'd catch fire ourselves."

"That is a pity."

He met her eyes and she could see and feel that they were sitting on a heavy futon mattress now, covered in pillows and blankets and sleeping bags.

Her mouth opened slightly, she hadn't really thought about what their nighttime sleeping arrangement was going to be like. Obviously, this was better than sleeping on the cold, stone floor under them, much better… but…

"I'd conjure twin beds if I had the space…"

"Are you tired from casting all of those spells? Or doesn't it work that way?" Jemma ventured.

"I am very tired, aren't you?"

Jemma opened up one of the sleeping bags, laying it out on the futon. "It has been a long day. Even before I arrived at your doorstep I had put in half a day at work and then took a flight to get to New York. How about you?"

"Admittedly casting all of these spells is wearing me out a little."

She smiled. She liked him better when he was being a little more relatable. She removed her boots and slid into the sleeping bag, parka and all. "Well, goodnight," Jemma said turning her back to him.

"Goodnight."

She lay there staring at the wall an inch from her nose. The mattress wasn't very large and she wondered how this was going to work out. She could feel him shifting around behind her, boots tumbling to the floor at the end of the futon and then nothing.

As she lay on her side she was certain she could feel his eyes on her boring a hole in her back. She blushed a little. He was kind of attractive, and very interesting… she felt her breathing hitch a bit. "Um, are you staring at me?"

"No, I am not."

After several more minutes he had still not moved or laid down beside her on the futon. "Are you certain? Because that would be a little bit creepy."

"I promise you I'm not." Came his voice, but not from behind her.

Jemma sat bolt upright. Doctor Strange's non-corporal form was floating on the other side of her body, his head and shoulders sticking through the wall of the cave glowing a warm golden color.

"What the?!" She scrambled back and ran into his physical body which was sitting in a meditative pose behind her.

"Please be careful. I will need to get back in there."

"What are you?- What's happening?!"

"This is my spirit body."

"Well, why is it out of your regular body?"

"I thought I would have a look around and see if I could figure out where we are." His spirit body sparkled as it floated over her.

"What? You're going to leave? What if you can't find your way back?"

He smiled knowingly at her. "I've done it before. I won't leave you here alone I promise, I'll be right back. Anyhow, once I've figured out where we are I can make another trip back to the Sanctum in spirit form and talk to your friends, send them to rescue us."

"How is this even possible?"

"You aren't going to like the answer."

"What?"

He floated to the other side of the cave. "Magic."

"Wait, don't go. You said yourself that you were tired from casting spells."

"Get some sleep Jemma. I'll be back soon." And with that he vanished through the wall.

She turned toward his physical body, slipping his hand between her own and feeling for a pulse. And yes, he was indeed alive, his heart was beating slowly and evenly. It was unnerving looking up at someone who was not actually present in his own body, just an empty shell while he decided to go off and astral project, something, up until this point, she had believed to be completely and utter baloney.

"Stephen?"

He did not move.

Slowly, she managed to crawl back down into her sleeping bag, it was incredibly cold, but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. This was so weird, being back on another planet almost seemed more normal, at least science was still involved. "Stephen?" she whispered one last time before she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Jemma woke up with a start. Her breath was visible in air and at first she had no idea where she was and then she realized she was freezing. She sat up. She was in a dark cave… _Oh, that's right, I was trying to wait up for Stephen last night. Must've fallen asleep…_ She hugged her sides for warmth. Her parka was missing.

"What?" She glanced around, she was sitting on the hard, cold floor, and there was no light, no blankets.

An odd sound reached her ears, a _thud_ and then there was light, daylight. The cave mouth was open again, and Doctor Strange had slumped to the ground in front of her.

Her eyes widened, suddenly completely awake. "Stephen!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

" _Speak slowly, tongue of winter_

 _Leak only strokes of bright moonlight."_

 _~Olafur Arnalds_

* * *

An odd sound reached her ears, a _thud_ and then there was light, daylight. The cave mouth was open again, and Doctor Strange had slumped to the ground in front of her.

Her eyes widened, suddenly completely awake. "Stephen!"

He was shivering uncontrollably.

"Stephen?" Jemma scrambled toward him.

He lay on the ground his teeth chattering, and trying to catch his breath. His face was white as chalk and he was regarding her with a look of complete confusion.

"Are you just coming back now? It's tomorrow. You've been out of your body all night! Where did you go?"

At this last he stopped moving and closed his eyes succumbing to sleep.

"Stephen?" She touched his sleeve hesitantly.

His arm was limp.

"Stephen! Oh my goodness…" Jemma pressed her fingers against his neck to check for a heartbeat. His skin was cold and clammy to the touch, she suspected hypothermia immediately. His pulse was very weak, and she knew that she had to get him conscious again. He'd stopped shivering and in the case of hypothermia it was better to shiver. He could actually drift off to sleep and never wake up again.

This must've been why the bedding had disappeared, and their coats, he must've been losing his strength to keep those spells going… well, at least that's what she assumed as she actually had no idea what spell casting really entailed.

She rolled him onto his back and slapped his face gently. "Stephen?"

Nothing. She knew that she couldn't be too rough or he may actually go into cardiac arrest.

"Wake up!"

He was like dead weight, his head lolled to one side.

"Stephen!"

He began to moan a little and then he drew in a quick breath, and his teeth chattered.

Jemma pulled off her sweater and leggings hastily, and then began tearing at his looped belt, finally loosening it up enough to pull his robes up over it and opened up his layers of shirts.

Confused he rolled to one side and tried to pull his robes around him.

"Those have to come off. You have hypothermia," she said looking into his eyes. If she could just break through his disorientation and penetrate his mind with reason… but this did not stop him from trying to put his clothes back on. "All right fine," she grumbled focusing on unfastening his pants and taking them off while he was preoccupied with his shirts.

"W, what are you d, doing?..."

Once he was half dressed she took a deep breath, she knew that without heating pads or a heating blanket the next best thing was skin to skin contact, and that was all she was working with. Jemma pushed his hands to either side of him and pressed her body against his, wrapping her arms around his back and forcing her leg between his legs- that seemed to wake him.

His eyes widened and he looked down at the top of her head. His body was shivering so hard it was difficult for her to hold onto him. And his skin was so cold! She'd been cold enough waking up in the cave without any sleeping bag or parka on the cold rocky floor in the dark… "You are freezing," she hissed.

He wrapped his arms around her, they felt like cold, wet slabs of meat so limp and heavy against her back.

She squealed a little at how icy they were against her naked back.

He chattered, "I… I'm… s, sorry…"

"What happened?"

His head dipped down until she found herself in the crook of his neck, his cheek resting against the top of her head. "Mordo… f, found me… W, wouldn't l, let me g, get back t, to my body…"

"He knows where we are." Panic seized her. Mordo knew where they were but she did not.

"Yes."

He tried to remove her leg from in-between his.

"I'm afraid you can't do that," she said briskly. "We have to heat up your torso and your… extremities."

He stopped fighting her but did not reply, except to chatter loudly in her ear.

"Do you have any idea where we are? You were gone a long time."

"I, I'm n, not positive… Antarctica," he whispered.

"Oh god…" she said resting her forehead against his collarbone. There was something distinctly intimate in that gesture that made her pause and realize what she'd done but then she felt unable to actually move out of that position. Doctor Strange had also stopped moving and breathing it sounded like. "Are you… Are you all right?"

"Yes," he whispered into her ear.

His shivering was beginning to subside anyhow. His chest was starting to feel a bit more comfortable to hug. His body was starting to give off some heat.

She ran her hands slowly over his naked back.

He nuzzled into her hair, and mimicked her embrace, slowly returning the gesture by running his hands up her back even more slowly than she was doing.

She could feel his abs against her, their legs tangled together out of necessity. A shiver ran the length of his body, and she grabbed his back tightly holding him to her.

Her stomach did a sort of a flip, and she felt her breathing catch in throat. This should not be happening, it was just all confused because she had to keep him from dying… she wouldn't be in her underwear with her body pressed up against Stephen's half naked body otherwise. It was just situational, she had to remind herself, because this made no sense… they were lost in Antarctica, with Mordo the only other person who knew where they were… She skimmed up his spine with her fingertips onto the back of his neck and into his dark hair.

A tear-filled sigh reached her ear.

Her heart felt full, she couldn't breathe. Her lips parted.

He lowered his face to look at her.

Jemma grabbed onto the back of his head pulling him down into a kiss.

He slid his hands onto her jaw, cupping it as he returned her kiss, fingers shaking, a little moan escaped his lips.

She needed to connect with him. She wanted to take his pain away. She laced her fingers through his silky dark hair, holding him in place.

His mouth moved against hers, tilting to one side, the tip of his tongue slid against hers so carefully she wasn't certain she'd ever been kissed so well before. Her body was starting to react of its own volition, pressing harder into him.

"I, I can't," she said pulling from his grasp, resting her face back against his collarbone again, blushing furiously.

His hands fell back to his sides uncertain. He lay down onto his back closing his eyes, smiling, his chest heaving… "You saved my life."

He wasn't upset with her. Thank heavens for that.

"Oh, um… well, of course I did."

Stephen touched her back cautiously, his body convulsing once more with cold.

Jemma reached around and guided one hand over her back. "It's all right."

He exhaled into her hair and drew her into him, snuggling against her, and absorbing her warmth.

"I promise I'll make this up to you with a sumptuous dinner."

She grinned. "Oh, are we going out?"

"Definitely," he joked. "Where would you like to go?"

"To a beach restaurant, I think. Someplace open to the sea, so we can feel the warm breezes while we enjoy our meal."

"Maybe, Greece then?"

"That sounds wonderful. When will we go?"

"Oh, how about 6?" he breathed against her ear.

She sighed, "If only." Her mood dropped. The fact was they were stuck in the cold, in a cave, and Doctor Strange didn't even have his powers at the moment. They were both lucky to be alive. She hadn't dared even think about warmth, or beaches, and now that that thought had penetrated her brain she felt a wave of depression threatening to take hold.

Doctor Strange himself hadn't moved or spoken in minutes, ever since she became Debby Downer. Hopefully she hadn't brought his mood down too.

"You smell so good," he uttered at last. No, he hadn't been brought down at all, he was still clinging to that kiss they'd shared. She should not have kissed him. What in the world was she thinking? That he was handsome, and interesting, and caring, and sort of sweet in an annoying way? That his naked body was pressed against hers and that he desperately needed her to survive? That this powerful hero was weak and helpless before her? That they were stranded and there was really only imminent danger on their horizon, and they only had each other?

She suddenly wondered why she'd stopped kissing him. They could die and no one would ever have any idea what had happened to them. Of course, at this moment, she hoped no one was going to suddenly "pop up" and find them. No one, least of all Fitz, would understand what was happening here.

"You're so quiet," she said. "What are you thinking?"

He hesitated, "I'm… thinking about… your workout routine."

She smirked and leaned back to look up at him. "You are?"

"Yes. As a doctor I would have to say it's obviously working, so keep doing whatever you've been doing."

"As a doctor?"

"Mm hmm…"

"Is that what you're really thinking?"

He nuzzled into her long dark hair, and kissed her cheek.

"Stephen…"

He dipped down and kissed her on the mouth.

She leaned back as he explored her mouth with his tongue. His desperation was causing her to blush.

"This is wrong," she hissed in between kisses. Her fingers reached his face tracing the contours and slowly teasing into his hair.

"Yes…" he sighed.

"We shouldn't…"

He kissed her cheek again gently. "All right," he breathed. "All right…" And guided her head carefully to his chest. His trembling fingers slowly entwining in her long hair stroking it. He kissed her forehead tenderly.

Jemma sighed against him, it was heavenly to feel as cherished as he was making her feel.

"I think we should always sleep like this," he said. "A mattress and blankets could make this infinitely nicer."

She laughed. The wind had died down outside but it was absolutely freezing. "I'd be happy to make due with pajamas with feet at this point."

He chuckled into her hair. "I wish I had my magic right now because I would make that wish come true."

She grinned. "How are your hands doing? They were really cold a few minutes ago."

Doctor Strange drew back a little, and she took his hands into her own.

"Like ice," she hissed and set them between their bodies, then wrapped her arms around his back again capturing him against her.

"Ohmygodthat'ssocold," he whimpered.

"Oh I know," Jemma said. "That's my stomach you're freezing to death. Really though it's good that it feels cold to you."

His whole body convulsed again. "I didn't realize how cold they were."

"I expect your feet are probably just as bad, hopefully not worse. How are they feeling?"

"I can't feel them actually."

"What?" She hastily ripped off her own socks and set her feet on top of his, and good heavens they were also ice.

He inhaled a sharp breath as he closed his eyes.

"Does it hurt?"

Stephen only nodded.

"It will stop… I hope."

"Not the bedside manner I'm looking for Jemma," he said through clenched teeth.

"Well, that's why I'm not a physician," she said brightly.

He laughed but it was strained. He still had his eyes shut tight and his face seemed a little contorted as his feet were beginning to feel again. Sharp, stabbing pain at being warmed.

She could feel him breathing hard into her hair and she knew he was in pain. "It will subside," she said and rubbed his back a little the way a mother might try to reassure her child.

"Failing your bedside manner class spectacularly," he breathed.

She chuckled, and held him tight. "I'll bet you aren't even noticing how cold your hands are now."

"I wasn't."

Jemma reached up hesitantly and stroked his cheek gently.

His eyes opened immediately and met hers.

"It is going to be okay."

He searched her eyes.

His eyes were blue… or sort of green… what a lovely color. She hadn't noticed before.

Stephen lowered his gaze to her shoulder.

"Feeling any better?"

"Hmm?" He seemed preoccupied.

"How are your feet?"

"Less painful."

"And your hands?"

"Mm hmm…"

"Stephen? You're not falling asleep are you?"

"Hmm?" he murmured into her hair. "No."

Hmm… "All right then." She wasn't certain what the problem was, one minute joking around with her and the next… well, she didn't know what. Was he sulking?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Jemma awoke in the darkness uncertain where she was or what time it was. As she moved she realized she'd been sleeping wrapped up in someone's arms, and her chest felt warm and sweaty… but her back was freezing.

"Fitz?" she whispered. "I can't find the light switch… What's going on? Where's the bed?" She stretched out and touched the frozen rocky ground. "Did we fall asleep in the living room again?"

Suddenly there was light, and she turned over.

Doctor Strange shrugged. He was reclining on the cold cave floor wearing blue, boxer briefs; his robes fell over one shoulder almost on cue.

"Ohmygoodness!" She gathered up her clothes to her body. And now she remembered.

"We must've fallen asleep," he said smirking at her.

"You're… you're all right?"

"Seems so."

He pulled his robes over his shoulders and went looking for his pants.

Jemma watched him walking away from her for a moment before she realized she was holding a ball of her own clothing in her hands rather than wearing them. She turned away from him and pulled her sweater over her head quickly, and then gathered up her gray leggings and put them on.

By the time she moved back around to find her socks, he was sitting in front of her lacing up his boots.

"Do you have your magic back as well?" she said hopefully.

"Well, I was able to conjure a sconce. Hopefully, I can do more than that later, maybe try to travel astrally again to find your friends…"

"What?" She spun around, "No. That man is probably still out there waiting for you."

"Oh, Mordo… he just caught me by surprise."

"Doctor Strange, are you serious? You're just going to astral project back out into Antarctica after nearly dying of hypothermia? You haven't even had a decent meal or more than a couple hours of sleep. You simply can't. You aren't well enough."

A quirky little smile was playing at the corner of his mouth. "I appreciate that you're worried about my safety…"

"I… what?" _What was he talking about?_ "You aren't listening."

"Oh no, I think I am."

"Doctor Strange-"

"Stephen."

"Stephen," she said annoyed. "You're simply changing the subject so that you don't have to take 'no' for an answer."

He waved his hand and a red tablecloth appeared, and upon it a lavish dinner. His eyes never left her face.

Jemma looked down at the food before her. No matter how many times he did this it amazed her.

"We can't stay in this cave in the middle of nowhere forever. I have to go look for help."

"Well, of course _we_ have to find help but can't you just… wait one day. One day of recuperation? I saw you nearly die."

He stared down at the feast in front of him in serious contemplation. "One day."

She heaved a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Do you want something to eat now?" he said lifting the lid off of one of the plates.

"Yes, of course I do." Jemma crept up to the picnic, a moment later she was wearing a warm parka again. "Oh, thank you."

The corner of Stephen's mouth turned up in a smile, and he pulled the black, wool collar of his coat up around his face, mimicking the look of his cloak.

"Double-Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Cream, Baby Beet and Flank Steak Salad Dijon, Baked Eggplant Parmesan, Roast Duck with Blackberry-Orange Sauce, Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Indian-Spiced Roasted Peas…"

"Stop!"

"If you don't like-"

She picked up her fork. "Are you joking me?"

Doctor Strange rubbed one finger over his smiling lips and watched her dig into the dinner he'd promised. "We'll do Greece next time since you want to stay in tonight."

Jemma rolled her eyes. "All right I suppose."

He helped himself to the roast duck and brussel sprouts, his gaze focused on the picnic before him, lost in thought.

Although the meal was delicious she found herself wondering how they were going to get back home. If he couldn't astral project to get help, as Mordo was apparently waiting for him to try this, they would probably have to go it on foot. It was a shame that Doctor Strange didn't seem to be able to create things like cars or snowmobiles, or anything of an electronic nature. She wondered why this was. She glanced up at him but he seemed deep in thought and so she didn't interrupt. If Fitz had been here the two of them could've cooked up something a little more technical. As it was she didn't have anything on her really that could be turned into a snowmobile.

She was chewing a mouthful of eggplant parm when she realized he was staring at her. Jemma grabbed a napkin and held it to her mouth, eating in front of someone you're attracted to is more trouble than it's worth. Really, that's why dating Fitz was so much easier, they'd been friends first and had spent a lot of time eating in front of each other for years. There was none of that awkward first date feeling… _Wait, what was she even thinking? This wasn't a date. They were stranded in a cave!_ And yet… the nerves in her stomach were making it difficult to eat comfortably. She had kissed him! She had kissed the superhero known as Doctor Strange and he had apparently liked it enough to try it himself. If she hadn't stopped him she suspected things would have easily progressed to second base… or further. And then an odd thought crossed her mind.

"Are you a mind-reader?"

"No… I don't read tarot cards or runes either."

She probably should've laughed but she really, really didn't not want him to know what she'd been thinking. So, she wasn't so sure he was being completely honest with her. He did seem to know about Quake earlier and that had come from a what?... 'Just a guess'? Likely story.

"Why, what are you thinking?"

"Um…" she faltered under his gaze.

"Shall I send something back to the chef?" But, he saved her from making a fool of herself.

Jemma smiled thankfully at him. "I was thinking that maybe we should try to leave the cave and look for help on foot again."

"What?"

"Hear me out," she set down her silverware. "Look, if someone is out there waiting for you in the astral… plane, or wherever then he's likely to still be there waiting for you if you try to astrally project yourself again. We're better off on foot."

"Mm…" He raised an eyebrow and shifted uncomfortably. "It's a thought. I don't like the idea of putting you in that much danger when we really needn't venture out."

"I've been in plenty of life-threatening situations Doctor Strange," she said briskly.

"I know."

"I thought you just said you couldn't read my mind?"

"That information is apparent in other ways," he said sagely.

"What do you mean?"

"Your aura for instance."

"Auras," she scoffed.

He smiled at her. "Just wait until I get started on chakras."

"Oh please," she laughed out loud, but when she saw him studying her with a wizened expression on his face she realized he was being fully serious. "You aren't pulling my leg are you?"

"Are you done with this or are you interested in dessert?" He motioned toward the picnic on the floor between them.

"Oh no, I'm full thank you."

"Coffee? After dinner cocktail?"

She laughed, "Are you trying to seduce me Doctor Strange?"

Funny, he did not laugh. "It's Stephen," he said. And she knew she'd hit the nail on the head. _Oh no…_

"I was thinking of trying to contact Wong through the astral dimension instead of your friends," he said before she could fully wrap her head around what she'd just figured out.

"W, what?"

"Wong? He's another sorcerer in Katmandu. I thought maybe I could call out to him while in the astral dimension. He could also help me fight Mordo… if it works. I've never tried that before."

"But, not tonight right? You agreed to rest."

A smile quirked at the edge of his mouth. "Yes, doctor."

"That's Doctor Simmons to you."

He chuckled. "And what other advice do you have for me?... Doctor Simmons."

"Drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest, and no more magic for a full eight hours," she said.

He tilted his head to one side, "Does that include the magical coats and sconce?"

"Um… I don't know. Is that taking a lot out of you?" Her brow furrowed a little as she looked up at the sconce.

"No, it's fine."

"I'm getting the impression you would say that if you were on fire."

"Uh…"

"I'm right aren't I?"

"No," he said but it didn't sound very convincing. A thick, futon mattress lifted her up off the ground equipped with pillows and blankets.

"Oh!" Jemma set the palms of her hands down on either side of her body. "I feel a little like Alice in Wonderland."

"Who does that make me?" Stephen asked as he lay down on his side, head propped up on one arm.

"The trippy caterpillar I suppose."

"Hmm." He smiled to himself, grabbing a pillow and cuddling up with it. "I am a little sleepy I guess."

"I would imagine. You had a total of two hours sleep in the past couple days."

"Are you going to sleep?" he said groggy; eyes closed.

Her eyes swept the tiny space, without his body blocking the cave mouth it was really cold in there. "There's nothing else to do."

He was already breathing deeply when she drew up the covers and tucked in with her back to him. An icy breeze was going down her back in the gap of the blankets between their two bodies.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Are you… not sleeping?..." His voice was definitely that of a man who had been woken up. Deep, and croaking.

"Um… I'm just…" she faltered, "cold."

"Ohh, I'm sorry."

A moment later she felt the weight of several more blankets on top of her body.

"Oh, right. Thank you." This of course did nothing to change the fact that the gap in the blankets between them was still there and she was never going to get any sleep if she didn't do something about it. So, she moved, at an infinitesimally slow rate back into him, until she sat on his hand, which he pulled out from under her without a word, thankfully. Eventually, she met his warm chest. Her frozen back thanked her, no matter how awkward this was.

She felt his hand brush her upper arm uncertainly, and when she did not resist, his hand slid down her arm and captured her hand, lacing his fingers in hers.

She smiled, a sigh of relief escaped as a little laugh.

"Comfortable?" he whispered.

Jemma pulled his arm around her. "I think so."

"Okay," he murmured sleepily. She felt his forehead rest against her back. Not a minute later he was sound asleep. His deep breathing was making her feel tired too.

He must've really been exhausted.

She lifted the covers slightly to look down at their entwined hands and smiled to herself. She examined the surgical scars on the back of his hand which ran the length of each finger. Somehow they still seemed red and blotchy. Something about having his hand in hers… it felt familiar to her somehow… comfortable.

Jemma listened to the wind outside and burrowed back down into Doctor Strange's arms. She felt safe there. Warm and safe. And small against him but that felt okay too, like he'd be there if she needed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Jemma rolled over. It was morning. The sunlight was stabbing her in the eyes. She hid underneath the covers throwing one arm in front of her body which collided with something that felt like another person.

"Ouch…" A groggy male voice drawled, as if just awoken from sleep himself.

She opened her eyes instantly. And was staring into a pair of beautiful eyes directly in front of her. "Doctor Strange!" She jumped backward. "Did I hit you? I'm so sorry."

He rubbed his face as if to scrub the sleep from it. "I'll survive."

"What a way to wake up though, and after you made me such a nice dinner too," she said as she sat up.

He chuckled and rolled onto his back, raking his fingers through his once perfectly kempt hair. "Well, you insisted we stay in."

She lowered her eyes to the bed they were sharing, feeling a little bit ashamed of herself. "Well yes… circumstances and all that you know?"

"Of course I know," he said seriously looking up at her. He reached out and took hold of her free hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We'll be out of here before you know it and I'm sure…" He let go of her hand. "Fitz will be waiting for you."

"Yes," she said shortly, somehow she was feeling odd about that.

"As will the rest of your friends at S.H.I.E.L.D., I expect."

She released a murmur of assent.

"Well doctor," he said changing the subject. "Do you think I'm fit for duty today? I have had… probably, eight hours of sleep."

"About that. I think we should both go on foot."

Stephen waved one hand and the pillows, blankets and futon disappeared, and they were once more sitting at a picnic. "Tea? Breakfast items?"

Her stomach growled in response and she nodded. "Thank you. I think I would be starving to death if not for your… advanced science."

This caused him to pause and raise his eyebrows for a moment as he sat opposite her at their makeshift breakfast picnic.

"I'm certain of it," Jemma amended.

He smiled at her. "Don't mention it."

"I'll add it to the list then shall I?" she said before she was able to stop herself.

Their eyes met and then she swiftly looked away.

"The… the main reason I don't think we should go it on foot is because I'm almost certain we're in Antarctica, and if we are there's really nowhere to go. No door we can knock on, no phone to find… Why did you kiss me?"

"What?" She had a mouth full of croissant.

His gaze fell to his own boots, his cheeks flushed, "Why did you kiss me? I thought you were with… Leo Fitz."

"I know," she gasped putting one hand to her mouth. "I'm a terrible person."

"No, you aren't."

Jemma hid her face in her hand for a minute, she needed time to think… She had no idea what she was going to say but after so much time seemed to be passing she settled with, "I don't know."

He chewed on his lower lip and made some sort of nod as if he had not been expecting much of a positive answer anyhow.

"Oh Stephen, I'm sorry."

He lifted a teacup but then it was shaking so hard he had to set it back down onto its delicately painted saucer.

She moved to his side and set her hand on his, meeting his eyes. "I didn't mean it."

"Didn't you?"

"I…" She found she couldn't close her mouth for a moment. "Stop it, stop reading my mind! It's an unfair advantage!"

"I'm not reading your mind."

"Oh."

He waved his hand briefly and their breakfast picnic disappeared. "What is it that's in your mind that you're so afraid to let me read anyhow?"

She folded her arms. "Absolutely nothing."

"You aren't a very good liar for a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Yes, I've heard that before. But I'm better at it than you think."

"Okay…" He sat back against the wall, crossed his legs and prepared to go into the astral dimension. "Sure you don't want to kiss me before I go? I mean Mordo could be out there."

She met him with a stony look. "Thank you, no."

"Fine."

"Besides," she said concerned. "You aren't actually going anywhere are you? You said you're just going to send a message to your friend in Katmandu? You really haven't completely healed up."

"Yes doctor."

"Oh well, all right then," she said smiling and looking out the mouth of the cave at the white tundra.

He sat up. "Don't go anywhere without me."

"Yes… Doctor," she said mimicking his tone.

He sighed exasperated and leaned back against the wall breathing deeply, trying to relax she assumed. She watched him from the cave mouth as his body shifted, and his hands seemed to be limp on his knees, almost as if he'd died. He must've gone astral; it was almost morbid to watch.

"Don't leave the cave, I mean it." Came a voice out of nowhere.

Jemma jumped and searched the cave but there was no one around. "Annoying…" she muttered. Kissing him… what in the world had she been thinking? She'd been silly as a schoolgirl that's for certain. Taken in by his martyrdom… feeling pity for him losing his hands, his life's work and being brought low… His silky soft dark hair under her fingers, his generally commanding presence completely weakened, and his tongue against her tongue… She stared out at the snow blowing across the tundra, caught in sunlight… sparkling… He had a beautiful smile…

Her eyes found his limp form resting, cross-legged beside her. Hopefully, this was going to go off without a hitch. It seemed to be taking kind of a long time to just send out some sort of a signal. She hoped Mordo wasn't really waiting for him.

Jemma crouched down beside him, and slowly touched his hair, smoothed it back… It was as silky as she remembered. But, it was a little like gazing into the face of someone sleeping… or dead.

She checked his pulse just to make sure.

His eyes fluttered open and he chuckled. "Well, Doctor, how am I doing?"

"Just, checking to make sure you're alive," she said brightly. "Did you contact your friend?"

Before she could continue a ring of fire blazed out of thin air and she stumbled back over Doctor Strange's legs, but he caught her on the way down.

A portal had opened up in their tiny cave, and a large man peered out of it. "Strange."

"Wong!" Stephen jumped up, helping Jemma up with him.

"So this is where you two have been. We've had all kind of commotion at the New York Sanctum. Come on, come in Miss," he motioned Jemma forward.

Stephen took her hand as she hesitated and they stepped through together into the warm, golden sunshine and mountain air…

"Is this Katmandu?"

"Kamar-Taj," Wong said.

They looked to be in some ancient temple, full of monks…

"They're students," Stephen said as the three of them passed some people who were training in the yard.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. was all over the Sanctum for a little while, before I got there. I spoke to several agents who were very worried about your friend here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Wong," Doctor Strange turned them both toward each other, "this is Agent Simmons."

"Very pleased to meet you."

He smiled and nodded. "Stuck in the Antarctic with Strange, I can imagine."

"Hey."

Wong wandered over to a table with dozens of golden rings arranged in rows near the students who were practicing martial arts, picked one up and handed it over to Doctor Strange. "Here, take this."

"Thank you," Stephen said sliding it onto his left hand. "You are a life saver."

Wong just nodded knowingly.

"It was Mordo. Did he take anything from the Sanctum?"

"Nothing. I don't think that's what he was after do you?"

Doctor Strange glanced down sadly, "Probably not."

Wong's eyes strayed from Stephen to Jemma and then back to Stephen. "It's something we can discuss later."

Stephen proceeded to raise his hands before him and as before, orange sparks flew through the air and there was a circular doorway to what looked like a museum. Dark hard wood floor shining, a bright white wall, and a rich, depressing painting…

"After you," he said to Jemma.

"O… kay." She took a tentative step through the portal and Doctor Strange followed.

"We're back? We're in New York?"

"Greenwich Village," he added as he sped off down the hallway where they'd last gotten thrown through a doorway.

Jemma raced behind him.

There were the three doors, and the one in the middle, the one they'd fallen out of, had been turned to an ocean now. In the corner was his cape, floating as if awaiting Doctor Strange's return.

Stephen walked to it, and taking it in one hand, literally threw it over his shoulders where it attached itself to him like it was alive itself.

"W, what?"

"Advanced science Doctor Simmons," he said meeting her eyes with a smirk.

"Ha, ha…" Her tone however was not jolly. "What did Wong mean when he said that you hadn't been robbed but that wasn't what Mordo _was after_?"

"Oh that."

"What is he after?"

Doctor Strange seemed to be weighing this information, and apparently the cuff of his sleeve was where he had the answer because he kept staring at it.

"Stephen?"

He looked up at her sagely. "He's trying to kill all of the sorcerers."

So he hadn't been there to take the Darkhold, which is what she'd originally wondered about, no he'd been there to kill Stephen. "He was trying to kill you."

He said nothing, but he didn't have to, the expression on his face confirmed what she'd just figured out. "Don't think you'll be needing this anymore, thankfully," he said waving his hand.

Her parka, boots and gloves vanished and so did his.

"Thank you Doctor Strange."

"Don't mention… never mind."

"Well, of course I'm going to mention it. If it weren't for you I would likely have frozen to death," she said not realizing that she'd just stepped right back into the conversation he had just tried to avoid.

Stephen stared at her, mouth half open, stunned at her lack of tact. "Really?"

"Right." She nodded, and turned around. "My coat is down this way isn't it?"

"Mm hmm…"

Jemma knew he was right behind her, following her, probably so she didn't get lost in his mansion.

"I'll take you back." He was standing directly behind her as she got her coat out of the wardrobe he'd hung it up in days ago.

"Oh, you can't take me back to my base," she said pulling her peacoat back on. When she turned around he was right there looking down at her, saying _goodbye_ as if they'd just had tea and dropped of the darkforce and that was all… "I nearly forgot, the darkforce!"

"I did too." He glanced back up to where he'd left it. "I wonder if I'll still be able to get to Roxxon in time."

"I doubt it."

"Really screwing up my first few weeks as the guardian of this Sanctum," he said, his voice so rich, it made more sense in this old mansion.

"I'm certain that's not true."

"Tea?"

"In Greece?"

He smirked. "I could do that you know?"

"I think I'll have to take a rain check. I really want to take a hot bath."

"All right. Where can I drop you? You don't live at the base do you?"

Spot on.

"A house? Apartment?... The town the base is in? C'mon Jemma help me out here."

"Is it pitiful if I _do_ live at the base?" she said.

He chuckled. "You're talking to a man who _lives_ at his place of work. I suspect it means you're dedicated."

"Or pitiful."

"Or we're both pitiful."

"Oh, no, no I didn't mean it that way."

He reached out to toward her, palm up, waiting for her to take his hand. "Come with me."

She hesitated.

"Don't you trust me?"

She set an uncertain hand into his. "Okay." He pulled her next to him, and waved his hands in the air creating a portal to the lab in her base.

"Director Mace," she whispered frantically.

"Can talk to me if he has a problem," he said recapturing her hand and leading her through the portal where five people in lab coats started to freak out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

"Director Mace," she whispered frantically.

"Can talk to me if he has a problem," he said recapturing her hand and leading her through the portal where five people in lab coats started to freak out. Someone dropped a beaker and it shattered on the floor.

"I expect you'll be getting an introduction," she said dropping his hand. "It's all right everyone, it's all right." Once the lab techs calmed down she continued, "This is, Doctor Stephen Strange."

The orange-golden glowing portal sizzled around him as he stood in its doorway, behind him was clearly a different place altogether. While a couple of the techs faked smiles at him, most of them were staring in wonder at the portal he and Agent Simmons had just walked out of.

"Jemma?!" Fitz came running into the lab from another room. He pulled her into a hug. "Where have you been?" he asked breathlessly. "What happened?"

Stephen's eyes shifted from the embrace in front of him to the linoleum floor. He turned and closed the portal much to the disappointment of the techs.

"You." Fitz had apparently just realized Doctor Strange was in the same room. He tore away from Jemma and headed toward him.

"Fitz!" Jemma grabbed his arm.

Stephen met Fitz's eyes looking sort of alarmed.

"What happened? Where did you take her?"

"It wasn't like that."

"Doctor Strange was attacked by another sorcerer while I happened to be there. We fell through a door and ended up in a tundra, and then the door closed we couldn't get back," Jemma said.

Fitz glanced from Strange to Simmons trying to catch up. "You fell through a door and ended up in a tundra?"

"In Antarctica," Stephen supplied.

"What?" He ran his hands through the back of his hair, "Never mind that. Why couldn't you get back? Obviously you brought her here," Fitz said pointing at the portal still sizzling behind Doctor Strange.

"Yes," Stephen looked at it and closed it up. "I lost my ring when I fought with Mordo at the Sanctum… and my cloak. So we were stuck for a little while until I was able to contact another sorcerer to get us out."

"Sorcerer?" He threw his hands into the air, "Oh, this is too much. I don't think I can deal with this. The important thing is you're safe."

"Yes," Jemma smiled.

"Doctor Strange," Coulson strode into the lab. "Agent Simmons, it's good to see you," he said and motioned to the lab techs still standing around behind him.

"Oh right. Why don't you take your lunch break now?" Jemma said.

"Now?" One of them repeated.

She glanced up at the clock. It was 8AM. "Yes, now."

There was a little muttering as they walked out.

As soon as they left Coulson went to her. "What happened?"

Doctor Strange looked at Jemma with a slightly tired expression on his face as if he really didn't want to tell the same story ten more times.

"Yes, well. Stephen was attacked while I was giving him the darkforce-"

"Wait, what?" Fitz chimed in.

Agent Coulson held up one hand. "Let's just get this story first."

"Anyhow… we got blasted out of this door, that was sort of a portal… and we ended up in a tundra."

"In Antarctica," Stephen supplied once more.

"What?"

Jemma ignored Coulson. "And, we didn't have any way to get back because he lost his ring."

Doctor Strange held up the hand with the ring in question behind them, looking incredibly bored.

"How did you get back?" Coulson asked.

"Stephen was able to go into the astral dimension and get another sorcerer to send a portal to us."

"And that took two days?" Fitz asked.

Doctor Strange shot her a warning look before she launched into the rest of the story but she just ignored him. "Well, he went into the astral dimension earlier but Mordo trapped him in there for hours and by the time-"

"Oh look at the time," Doctor Strange said checking his broken watch. "I really should go." And he began to cast a portal back to the Sanctum.

Coulson turned around, "We really need to discuss the darkforce."

"And by the time he'd gotten back he was suffering from hypothermia and he nearly died so then we were just stuck there that much longer," Jemma said brightly. She glanced back at him and he closed his mouth. Apparently he'd been trying to mouth something to her but she hadn't been paying any attention. Now he was just staring at her like a deer in the headlights.

"Hypothermia," Fitz said comprehension dawning on his face. His eyes met Stephen's.

Stephen's expression only served to fuel Fitz's anger.

"But…" Fitz said trying to compose himself. "You had your magic or whatever it is."

Before Doctor Strange could get one word out Jemma spoke again. "Fitz he was unconscious."

"What? Oh." This seemed to calm him down.

"Right," Stephen said. "So. Coulson, if you'd like you can come with me back to the Sanctum and we can discuss the darkforce there. I probably shouldn't get caught on the base with this _Director Mace,_ I keep hearing so much about, roaming around."

Jemma avoided Fitz's gaze and smiled knowingly at Doctor Strange.

He glanced up and saw her, and then focused back on what Agent Coulson was saying about Roxxon.

She smiled to herself, not such a terrible liar after all.

* * *

"Up here," Doctor Strange said pointing toward the stairs that went up three flights to his office.

Coulson ascended the steps in wonder as they passed the room of relics, he no doubt, wanted to spend some time in there with his nose pressed up against the glass.

Doctor Strange's cloak flourished all around him as he sat down at his desk. It had been a while. Nothing had been moved. The phial of darkforce sat exactly where he'd left it.

"Doctor Strange," Coulson began, standing at the other side.

Stephen motioned for him to sit. "Please."

"Thank you." He sat down opposite the doctor.

"You wanted me to get to Roxxon to remove the darkforce before S.H.I.E.L.D. got a hold of it, I'm going to guess I'm to be too late for that?"

"Yes, probably. I haven't been in there since I took that sample. I know they've been at the site but you might be able to get some of it. Anyhow, some is better than none is it not?"

Stephen nodded. It wasn't good but it's not like he could do anything about his current predicament anyhow. Well, there was the Eye of Agamotto but he wasn't going to turn back time to save the darkforce at this point. Besides the whole _tampering with natural law_ thing, it would also would mean losing all of the time I'd spent with Jemma.

"Might be better to try at night, it's being guarded but the lab geeks aren't around, so definitely quieter then." He reached into his pocket, "I can give you the coordinates."

Doctor Strange made a sound of appreciation, little more than a grunt really, as Coulson looked at his phone.

As Stephen copied it down Coulson was looking over the top of his smartphone as if maybe studying him.

"What?" Stephen said.

"You seem like a smart guy."

Understatement. "What are you getting at?"

"Is something going on between you and Simmons?"

"What?" He sat up. Yes, if he got taller than Coulson he'd definitely seem more intimidating and then maybe he'd move onto another subject… like going back to his base.

"You heard me."

He made some dismissive gesture with his hand, "Of course not. She's with Leo Fitz as I understand it. Right?"

Coulson glanced down at his hands thoughtfully. "She told you that did she?"

"Well, how else would I have known?"

Coulson smiled at him, a tight little smile, as if Stephen had just lain all of his cards on the table for Agent Coulson to read.

Doctor Strange turned away from him, facing his body completely to the side, and stroked his beard a little as Coulson analyzed him. "Stop doing that. You're worse than a third year psych student," Doctor Strange said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Stephen glanced back at him annoyed. "Is there something else you wanted to say?"

"No, I think you've told me all I need to know," Agent Coulson said standing up. "I'd let myself out but I obviously can't do that."

Doctor Strange remained seated, looking up at Coulson darkly. "I could let you walk back to your base."

"Like you pretended not to have your powers in Antarctica?"

"It wasn't like that at all," he said, his rich voice echoing off the walls of the upper chamber they were in. "You don't honestly think I'd strand her in Antarctica so I could get to know her?"

"Would you?"

Stephen rolled his eyes. "No. It wasn't a picnic for me either." For a moment his mind went immediately back to the cave floor picnics… and then he tried to catch back up and forgot what he was trying to say. He picked up the darkforce and examined it again. "I'll head to Roxxon tonight, see if I can offer some sort of resolution to this minor catastrophe."

"I'm sorry. I have to make sure I think about the welfare of my fellow agents."

Stephen stood and waving his hand in the air created a portal back to the base. "You're just being nosy."

Coulson smiled his tight-lipped smile back at Doctor Strange. "Just cautious."

"Well," Stephen said, indicating the portal. "There is your door. You are, of course, welcome to call me if there is danger from any peculiar sources again."

"Goodbye Doctor Strange."

After Coulson left the portal closed behind him and that was when Stephen knew his time with Jemma had come to an end. Suddenly. He was left with the most stunning feeling of emptiness he'd felt in a long time.

* * *

Doctor Strange awoke with a start. For several minutes he wasn't quite certain where he was. Overhead he'd expected a frost covered cave, instead he awoke staring up at wood coffered ceiling tiles and mahogany paneling on the walls.

There was sunlight streaming in from outside one window and onto his face. He rolled over unhappily… he was alone. At least no one was there to hit him in the face upon first awaking he thought to himself but it was as if he was trying to console himself with that idea. It fell from his head to be replaced with a pang of longing and sadness…

He stared down at one broken hand that lay limp on the bed in front of him. He thought of how she'd held it, examined it slowly… and determined she might be able to help him. Her hands were so firm and tiny, and soft…

A smile quirked at his mouth and then faltered. He needed to get up.

* * *

Jemma awoke to the smell of Fitz's open mouth and turned over to get away from the morning breath. He'd wanted to give her a proper welcome back but she was too exhausted, at least that's what she'd told him. The time on the bedside table read 6AM but their room was still dark. She needed to get up, exercise… get back on that workout routine… and pop into the shower.

She'd have to deal with Director Mace today as well, and she didn't relish that thought.

Jemma looked over her shoulder at Fitz who remained sound asleep on his side of his double bed. She remembered how Stephen had looked unconscious… sweet and helpless… how striking his face looked caught in the half-light…

Fitz snored.

She slid out of bed quietly and padded back to her own room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

" _Beneath a lonesome moon, I hear,_

 _This city croons to me, no other_

 _With dark descending phantoms_

 _Haunts hoary heads the longest wail_

 _Their hallow beat of footsteps_

 _Will follow me midst snowy trail"_

 _~Olafur Arnalds_

* * *

2 days later…

A phone was ringing. But Doctor Strange didn't recognize the sound. He sauntered down the paneled hall toward the three doors that he and Jemma had fallen out of days ago. One jungle, one ocean, one desert…

He crouched down, there under a brown velvet settee was the culprit. A smartphone with a cracked face. He reached for it; Fitz was calling. And upon further inspection had been calling over the past few days.

Stephen didn't answer. This was the phone Jemma had lost when Mordo had knocked them out the door. He had it, all that time. How had he forgotten it would be in here?

He carried it up to his study, sat down at his desk and weighed it in his hands. Set it down on his desk, beside a pen, part of his sandwich, and a magical tome he'd been reading and tried to ignore it. Instead, he ate a piece of the cheese from the sandwich, smoothed out the page of the book he'd been reading and attempted to concentrate on that instead.

But, the sunlight caught on the cracked face of Jemma's smartphone and reflected in two directions. Doctor Strange glanced over at it. Distracting…

He picked it back up again, turned it over in his hands and held it up to his nose… it smelled faintly of Jemma. All that time it had been lying in the dust under that settee and is still smelled like her. Light, flowery scent… Now he did set it back down again and stood up, this was stupid, what was he going to do with it? Keep it? Pick it up and smell it every once in a while? Obviously he had to get it back to her.

Stephen slid his slingring back on his left hand and picked up her smartphone… and smelled it… and began to draw a magical portal in the air…

* * *

"So… stranded with Doctor Strange for the last two days? What was that like?"

Jemma looked up over the top of her monitor and saw Quake, arms folded across her chest, leaning back against one of the sterile counters in the lab.

"Come in to have the gauntlets upgraded?" she asked brightly.

"You know that I have Jemma."

"Right."

Daisy strolled over, casting a fleeting glance at a lab tech at the far end of the room as he gathered up something he'd been working on and walked out the door. "So, what's he like, this _Doctor Strange_?" she asked in mock tones.

"Oh he's… a little… um…" Jemma wasn't really sure where to start. She'd nearly said 'arrogant' but then she realized he really wasn't. "He's… confident." She took one of the gauntlets and opened it up on the table in front of her. Set her head gear with the lamp back on her head and turned it on so she could get a good look at what she was doing.

"Confident?" Daisy raised an eyebrow. "O… kay, is that a euphemism for something?"

"What on earth would that be a euphemism for?"

"Arrogance."

"Oh, no. He's not. He's just…"

Daisy leaned across the table from her resting her head in her hands. "Yeah?"

"Um… interesting."

"What? My gauntlet?"

"No, well yes, the gauntlets _are_ very interesting if I say so myself, but no, I meant Stephen." And then she blushed. Dammit, she hadn't meant to.

"Who's Stephen?"

"You know, Doctor Strange?"

"Oh. No, I didn't realize you two were on a first name basis."

Jemma's mouth turned to a frown as she appraised Quake. "Daisy, he and I were stranded together for two days. Yes, we did start calling each other by our given names. Not really so surprising is it?" She handed her back the gauntlet.

Daisy suppressed a smile. "No, I guess not. It's really more the way you said it."

"What? What do you mean?"

Daisy unbuckled the other gauntlet and handed it over. "So what happened? Coulson said you were in Antarctica?"

Jemma sighed, this again… and wound up, "Let's see, Stephen was attacked by Mordo and we fell out of this door-"

"Yeah, I know all that." And then she smiled, "What happened in Antarctica? How did you survive it?"

"Oh that." Jemma focused on the second gauntlet, "We were holed up in a cave for most of the time."

"Does Fitz know this?"

"He really hasn't asked and I'd rather he didn't find out quite frankly."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

"Daisy-"

A hissing sound cut through the air causing them both to pause and spin around… A golden flaming arc opened up a circular portal and as if on cue, Doctor Strange stepped out.

"Stephen?!" Jemma shot forward toward him before she could stop herself. _Nothing like looking over-eager…_ She ran one hand over her hair and stopped before him with a stupid grin on her face. "Hello Doctor Strange."

He smiled at her, with a similarly odd smile… sort of lopsided.

Daisy looked from one to the other as if these two may have been the most socially inept people she'd ever seen.

"Um, I have your phone," he said at last.

"Oh, you make words," Daisy quipped.

He glanced over at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." His eyes dropped automatically to the one gauntlet she was wearing. "Quake, I presume?"

"Yes, how did you?-"

"Oh, right!" Jemma turned around, beaming, "Of course, the gauntlets. I mentioned your gauntlets to him."

Daisy touched her arm absently, "Why?"

"Oh well…" Jemma waved the question away. "Anyhow, this is Doctor Strange," she said turning toward him, and then she motioned toward Daisy. "And, this is Daisy Johnson."

Daisy's eyes traveled from his face down to his boots and back up again appraisingly. "Hi."

"So, Stephen…" Jemma looked up at him blushing.

He handed her the phone. "Unfortunately, it's cracked."

"Oh." She took it and looked it over. "Well, that's too bad but what can you expect right?"

"Looks like Fitz was trying to call you. That's actually how I found it." He ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"Oh no, that was me, calling from Fitz's phone. I was hoping someone would pick up."

"That was you? I should've answered it."

"That's all right. You found it, that's the important thing."

"Should I just go?" Quake asked. Somehow Doctor Strange was now in front of her with his back to her.

"Of course not," Jemma said forcefully.

The portal was still open and sizzling nearby.

"Director Mace is going to love this," Daisy said walking over to it and looking inside.

"That's the New York Sanctum," Stephen explained helpfully. "If you want, I could give you a tour. If Jemma wants to drop by, that is?"

Daisy turned her attention to Simmons. "It does look pretty cool."

"It is," she said smiling. "Oh well, why not? It is nearly tea-time I expect. Come on then," Jemma said walking through the portal and down the front hall of the mansion. She turned around and beckoned to Daisy. "Well, c'mon. It's a very lovely house."

"Uh…"

Doctor Strange was towering over her, holding one hand out, gentleman-style, waiting for her to go ahead of him.

"Whatever," she said grabbing her other gauntlet and walking through.

Doctor Strange walked in behind them, and closed the portal. "Now then, tea?"

"Tea would be lovely," Jemma smiled.

"More of a coffee girl myself," Daisy said.

A teacup appeared in Jemma's hand and likewise, a coffee mug was suddenly in Daisy's hand, which she nearly dropped.

"I should've warned you," Jemma said.

"Milk and sugar?" Doctor Strange said.

"What?... Oh, no…"

"Are you all right Daisy?" Jemma slowed down so that they were walking together down the long, hard wood corridor.

"Wow, this place is huge," Daisy blurted.

Doctor Strange merely smirked. "This way," he said ushering them to the room Jemma had originally had tea in.

She sat down on the same settee, in the same spot as before. Daisy sat down beside her, and Doctor Strange sat across from them.

"You know what would make this even better?" Jemma said. "Scones."

"Oh, yeah… I'm actually a little hungry now that you mention it."

A plate of assorted scones appeared on the coffee table before them.

Jemma's expression seemed to open. "Oh, wonderful! Thank you."

Daisy looked dumbfounded.

"Is your friend okay?" Stephen asked Jemma.

"Daisy?"

"Yeah, yeah… fine." And then she acknowledged Doctor Strange as if it was the first time she'd ever seen him. "How did you do that?"

He glanced at Jemma smirking, and then said to Daisy. "Advanced science."

Daisy's eyes went from his, and then back to Jemma's, a question forming on her face. One eyebrow quirked. "Uh huh…"

"Oh right. Stephen is very good at conjuring things."

He rested one arm on the back of his settee as he leaned back into it. "Most things."

"Is he?" Daisy took a scone and tasted it tentatively with her tongue. "Magical scones…" she muttered.

Jemma grinned to herself, and then looked up at Stephen who she discovered was focused on her, sharing the joke.

"Um… what have you been up to Stephen?"

He leaned forward a little bit. "I've been over at Roxxon Industries, and Katmandu, and back. Moving that darkforce out of there."

"What?" This seemed to wake Daisy. "I thought that S.H.I.E.L.D. was handling that?"

He shrugged. "Agent Coulson asked me to look into it."

Daisy set down her mug. "Wait, so just who are you anyhow?"

"Doctor Stephen Strange?"

"Yeah, right but… what is this place? What do you do here?"

"The Sanctum Sanctorum. This is the New York Office, there are others. I…" he hesitated before stumbling on at a blindingly fast pace, "I help to keep the earth safe from inter-dimensional beings."

For a moment Daisy said nothing, she seemed to be catching up, but when she finally did she said. "Like Robbie Reyes?"

He nodded slightly and met her eyes. "Not Robbie per se, he's more of a vessel for the demon you call 'Ghost Rider', but yes, things like that. I keep a list of individuals and beings that may be a threat to this world."

This seemed to have grabbed her attention. She sat up, holding one fist in the other. "Have you ever met Ghost Rider?"

"Not yet."

"Just how do you think you're going to handle him? Conjure food at him?"

He smiled a bit smugly. "Well I-"

"Daisy, we all like Robbie. I'm sure Stephen doesn't mean him any harm," she said turning toward him. "Do you?"

He started again, this time seeming a little more hampered with the truth of the situation and not wanting to upset Jemma. "Well I-"

"I just hope for your sake you never have to go up against him," Daisy said confidently.

He sat back in his settee. "Uh… okay."

This was possibly the most defeated Jemma had seen Doctor Strange since the day he had hypothermia. She felt a little bad for him but if he'd really wanted to state his case for banishing Ghost Rider with Daisy she was certain he could've become very impressive very fast. He just wasn't. He was letting her win this one. Why? He was being nice to her friend, even though he thought she was wrong… did he like Daisy?...

He met Jemma's eyes kindly.

No, that probably wasn't it.

She sipped her tea quietly, musing to herself about the stolen kisses… and when she looked up he looked away. He'd been watching her.

"Aren't you hungry Stephen?"

A teacup appeared before him. The spoon stirred itself. He looked sort of miserable, as if he had no further idea what to say.

"God, I feel like I'm visiting Harry Potter," Quake said.

"Except I'm the only British one at the school," Jemma smiled. "And don't make any Hermione cracks."

"I won't if Professor Snape doesn't," Daisy said under her breath, yet loud enough for Doctor Strange to hear it.

"Daisy," Jemma said disheartened. Why was she being so mean? She suspected this had something to do with Fitz, and Daisy being worried that something might be going on between herself and Stephen. Which, of course, there wasn't. Except for that kiss(es) and the being nearly naked lying next to him… and being forced into a cave with him for 48 hours, that involved cuddling up together to sleep and lengthy conversations, sumptuous dinners…

Stephen's teacup crashed back into its saucer. "Excuse me," he said wiping his trembling hand off with a napkin. "Just got away from me."

Daisy's eyes were instantly on his shaking hand. "Did you burn yourself?"

"No, no… I'm fine. Just clumsy."

"But your hand… Are you sure?"

He nodded, his face sort of working as if it wasn't a subject he wanted her to broach.

"Oh wow…" Daisy said leaning forward and staring at Stephen's face.

"What?" Jemma said.

Doctor Strange was sitting there looking much like a bug pinned to a board, unable to move, as Daisy observed him. One hand closed over the other.

"Your friend has really interesting eyes, that's all… are they blue or?"

"Oh yes," Jemma smiled getting up and sitting down in front of him on the coffee table so that she could get a good look. "I had noticed that. What color are your eyes blue or green?"

His eyes locked on hers, pupils dilated.

For a moment that seemed to last an absolute eternity she could do nothing but stare into his eyes, unable to break free. She could see blue, green… and a dark blue ring around the outside… But sometimes, like on the white tundra they had seemed so green…

"Uh… brown," he said finally, blinking and setting her free as he did so.

"Brown?" she said grinning. "More like teal or something, don't you think?"

Stephen opened his eyes again and seemed to be caught in her gaze once more, his mouth slightly parted. "Uhh… y, yes. Yes, you're right- blue, right!"

"Blue?" Jemma said.

"Right." Stephen practically leapt to his feet. "I should show you around this creaky old place." And with that he stepped out of the room.

Jemma peered over her shoulder, "Was it something I said?"

Quake shrugged.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

" _I won't lie to you_

 _I know he's just not right for you_

 _And you can tell me if I'm off_

 _But I see it on your face_

 _When you say he's the one that you want_

 _And you're spending all your time_

 _In this wrong situation_

 _And anytime you want it to stop_

 _I know I can treat you better_

 _Than he can"_

 _~ Shawn Mendes_

* * *

"And, this is the Chamber of Relics," Doctor Strange said as the three of them passed through it.

"Wow, how old are some of these?" Daisy said looking around.

The room itself was so beautiful, hard wood paneling everywhere, mandalas carved into the ceiling overhead… Jemma finally had the opportunity to take it all in without the threat of being attacked by Mordo. "This really is just stunning."

He seemed to glow with pride.

"Well, I wish I could take credit for it, but thank you nonetheless."

Daisy glanced at her phone. "It's getting late, we'd better get back to the base."

"Oh yes, nearly time for dinner." Jemma said when she saw what time it was. "My employees aren't going to like that very much I'm afraid."

Doctor Strange slid on his slingring and conjured a portal back to the base which Daisy stepped through happily, thanking him for the tour. And then before Jemma could go through he conjured another beside it…

"What's this?" She looked through it, within she saw a turquoise ocean with jagged rocks standing beside a white sand beach. She could hear a gull calling over the water, and smell the salt in the air. A breeze, full of warmth washed over her. She turned toward Stephen. "Is this?..."

"Greece. I owe you dinner."

Her face split into the widest smile. "You kept me well fed for our time in the Antarctic, so that is one thing you don't owe me."

"I did make you a promise."

"That's true…" She swayed. A trip to Greece for a couple hours or back to work at the base to finish up some lab tests and reconfigure one of Daisy's gauntlets…

She looked up at him. "Well, all right." _I'll stay late and worry about getting those tests run when I get back. Not like anyone will miss me anyhow, Fitz will be staying late with Radcliffe and Aida working on their newest LMDs. And anyhow, it's my call, as I'm the Special Advisor to the Director In Science and Technology… I can't believe I'm thinking this._

He was waiting on her when she finished weighing her options. "I haven't been talking aloud to myself have I?"

"Not that I noticed," he chuckled. "Having a good conversation were you?"

"As well as good as one can have I suppose. It was about work so… no I guess it really wasn't that interesting."

He smiled, and closed the portal that led back to her base, much to Daisy's surprise. Her face was kind of priceless as the portal closed in front it.

"Guess I should've said something to her."

"I could open it back up?"

"Oh, no, don't bother," Jemma said waving away that notion. "Do you speak Greek?"

"Nope. You?"

"Not at all."

Doctor Strange stepped through the portal onto the beach, and held out his hand to her. "They probably speak English."

She took a deep breath and joined him somewhere in Greece. "Wow…"

"It's not as warm as I'd hoped," he said a little disappointed.

She gazed out at the ocean crashing toward them. "But, it's so beautiful…" There were fiddler crabs making their way back into the sea, and she watched them for a bit and then she realized that Stephen hadn't said a word in a good five minutes. She stopped, her hair dancing around her head in the wind, and she could feel his eyes on her.

When she spun around to confront him he only smiled.

"Shall we go in?" He motioned toward a restaurant behind them. There were tables and chairs set up outside with cotton awnings swinging in the breeze.

It looked wonderful.

"This has to be better than the cafeteria food at the base," she said hopefully.

"Or cave gourmet," he said walking purposefully beside her. His cloak billowing with each stride.

He looked very handsome, but she wasn't quite sure she should say that, this was, after all, just a friends' night out.

As she came to a table, Stephen pulled out a chair for her and helped her to sit down, then a waiter appeared.

"Oh, maybe this is someone else's-"

"Doctor Strange, ah yes, we have your reservation. I'll bring you the wine you selected." And with that an older, portly man scurried back into the building.

Jemma rounded on him. "Reservation?"

Stephen smiled smoothly and sat down in the chair to her left, opening a red napkin and setting it in his lap.

"You had this planned?"

He smirked.

"You knew I'd come?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, I was hoping you'd say yes Jemma. Please, tell me we aren't going to go over mind-reading and pseudo-science again as possible ways I managed to get you to travel to Greece."

"No, I wasn't. That's not how you got me here anyway." She spread her napkin on her lap. It was about 60 degrees… which was 30 degrees higher than it had been at the Sanctum so she couldn't complain. It wasn't what she'd been dreaming of exactly on the tundra, but it certainly was lovely scenery. Doctor Strange and all…

"Oh, and how did I get you here?"

The wine arrived just in the nick of time. Doctor Strange looked a little put out at the timing and Jemma had the opportunity to muse to herself due to his discomfort.

"Excellent vintage sir," the waiter said and poured them each a glass. "And now, the entrees are just about ready, I'll bring them out shortly."

"Thank you Evangelos," Doctor Strange said looking at Jemma.

She watched the older man walk away and focused again on Stephen, who was, being undoubtedly quite the show-off at the moment. Testing her patience. "You already ordered for me?"

"It's not like I haven't before."

"What do you mea- Oh… in the cave."

He nodded while toying with the stem of his wine glass. "I guessed based on what you chose to eat when we were stranded. But, if that offends you, I can have them bring a menu."

She was annoyed inwardly. "No, it's fine."

His expression changed. The cat-that-swallowed-the-canary look had left him. "That doesn't sound good." He stood up and got the waiter's attention. "Menu please."

"Thank you," she said taking the menu, and reordering her own food.

"Sorry."

"Perfectly okay, I know you were just… being nice."

His eyes fell to the glass in front of him, and he took a sip. "Well it's… been a while since I've been on a date… ah, I mean. Went out."

Her eyes met his. "Is this a date?"

Stephen's mouth opened and closed slowly, as if he wasn't certain what to say. "Only if you want it to be."

 _Oh great. Did she want it to be a date?_ "It's a little cooler than I expected it to be," she said.

He looked deflated but waved his hand in the air nonetheless and conjured a lovely shawl for her.

"Oh!" She touched the fabric, which had been embroidered with mandalas. "It's exquisite, thank you."

He nodded, looking pitifully defeated. "How _is_ Agent Fitz these days?" Clearly he'd given up.

"Fitz?" her voice pitched a little unnaturally. "Oh, he's great just great."

"Really?" Stephen said sounding somewhat encouraged by this peculiar answer.

"Yes, he's working on something secret for the agency, you know, with Dr. Radcliffe… well, you don't know but that's who he's working with. And, well, yeah… he's been busy… really, really busy."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, he's just been so busy we haven't really seen each other much lately. That's all."

He poured her more wine.

"I should really slow down." _Yes, slowing down would be good. She was spiraling, she could feel it. Damn you Fitz for never being around. Why does Stephen have to be so interesting?_ "You have really beautiful eyes." _Did I just say that? What in the world? Why am I drinking with him? This can only lead to bad things._

"So do you."

"Oh no…" she said gulping down another mouthful.

His brow furrowed just a bit looking from her empty glass back at her. "Maybe we should get some water."

She nodded.

He called for some water and then looked intensely at her. "Am I making you nervous?"

"Oh, no… no of course- yes, of course you are."

"I'm sorry."

"Ever since I kissed you…"

He was suddenly completely aware of what she was saying. He sat up, rapt with attention. "Yes?"

A busboy came by with a decanter of water.

"Thank you," Doctor Strange said and poured it into her glass.

She drank it. She was amazingly thirsty. "I think I'm a little tipsy."

"Our food will be here soon, that will help."

"Yes." She grinned at him, amused, "Thank you Doctor."

"Anytime. Otherwise you seem to be in excellent health," he said. "Do you like this little psaro-taverna? I did look at a couple of others but this one seemed cozy."

"I…"

"And here we are. Kolios sto fourno for the lady, and kalamarakia yemista for the gentleman. Enjoy."

She stared down at the fish and potatoes before her, this looked quite good, and then she gazed over at whatever was in front of Stephen. Some sort of stuffed… pasta?

He picked up his fork and knife and smiled at her. "Stuffed squid, it's very good. Would you like to try some?"

"Ah, no, thank you."

"We'll both be needing mints after this meal."

"Undoubtedly." She looked out at the sea, "Still though, this is amazing."

"The view?" he said, his mouth full.

"Being in Greece." She drank down her water. "Have you been to Greece before? Besides, just scouting out a restaurant to impress me with?"

"A little, a few years ago for a medical conference… But never with anyone so charming."

She choked a little and accidentally took a sip of wine rather than water. "You're smooth. I however, am not."

"Hmm," he breathed, musing to himself as he sipped his drink. "I used to think so."

"Before?"

He held up his broken hands in mock defeat. "And, all of this." Stephen pointed to his ensemble. "Not really so smooth anymore. Probably wasn't before either… just a fool, who thought he was smooth."

Jemma knocked over the remnants of her wine glass. "Oh no…"

"No problem," he set the glass upright.

A busboy was there instantly cleaning things up.

"See nothing to worry about."

"Stephen," she looked him in the eye feeling completely at a loss. "I'm tipsy. I can't finish up my lab tests like this."

"I didn't realize you were ditching work to go out with me." He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh good lord, you are incorrigible."

He asked for the check and paid the bill.

"Come on, let's go for a walk on the beach."

"Really?"

"We're here, on a Greek island, we might as well walk out there while the sun is setting." He stood and held out his hand to her.

Her mind rushed back to Fitz and she wondered what he would say to this whole dinner… Then she realized even if it was 6 or 7 pm he was still working on LMDs, so he'd never even miss her.

"All right, and then we have to go back."

"It's a deal."

They walked out onto the beach. It was getting darker and cooler. The sunset seemed to melt right down into the sea, brilliant oranges, and purple dripping across the water in a golden light…

She found herself mesmerized by the beauty of the moment, and how different it felt with Doctor Strange, than it did with Fitz. So unfamiliar that it made her a little nervous. His mannerisms were new, his smell was unlike Fitz's, a little butterfly sensation in her belly made her uncomfortable enough to literally force herself to try to relax.

She stared over at Stephen, at his profile as he watched the sunset, a pleasant expression of wonder on his placid face. He had a wonderful profile, very classic, high cheekbones so sharp and defined…

He caught her looking and his expression turned to startled interest.

"It's really lovely," she said.

"What is?"

"The sunset."

He nodded, glancing back at it. "So, how did I get you here?"

She'd nearly forgotten that train of thought. It was so far back in their conversation before the waiter had interrupted, she figured she'd weaseled out of having to answer that question. She smiled at him. "Well, because you owed me for saving your life of course."

"Oh," he said, though his tone implied he didn't really believe her.

"And anyway, I needed to get off the base for a little while."

"You're always welcome at the Sanctum."

She smiled at him. Looking kind of stupid she expected. She really had to stop grinning like an idiot around him or he was going to completely assume she was falling for him. Which, of course, she was not. "And you're very remarkable, so…" _Oh what? Stop talking, stop talking Jemma!_ She stumbled.

He caught her arm and steadied her. "Still tipsy?"

"Maybe a little." She looked up at him, he was such a gentleman and so strong… And he smelled so good, now she was so close she could smell the cinnamon fragrance coming from his robes again. Her body was braced to one side of his and she still hadn't let go of his hand, which was keeping her from falling into the wet sand.

"How do Quake's gauntlets work?"

"What?" _Where did that come from?_ Oh, he was changing the subject because she'd been drinking… She stared somewhat impressed and confused into his blue-green eyes. "Um… it's a bit complex… I don't know if you'd understand."

"Try me."

"Well, why don't you drop by the lab sometime and I can explain it to you, when I'm sober?"

"Sure."

"No really, why don't you?"

His expression changed from that of amusement to something of genuine interest. "Why, do you think you can help me?"

She'd try. "Maybe."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

 ***PLEASE NOTE: The rating on this story has changed from T to M***

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

" _I'll stop time for you_

 _The second you say you'd like me to"_

 _~Shawn Mendes_

* * *

 _Let's see now… Google… Doctor Stephen Strange…_

Google spat out a sidebar that identified him as an award winning doctor of neurosurgery with an old photo. _So, it was true, if I Google him he will come up._ She clicked on the photo from a couple years back, he was wearing a tux, holding up an award and grinning at the audience. He almost looked like a different person, clean shaven with a big smile on his face. And then she scrolled down and there was a news article about a serious car accident he'd been in, texting and driving. The image of his destroyed Lamborghini smashed and standing on end in a river gave her pause. She couldn't imagine being in a wreck that bad and actually surviving it, and yet he'd come out of it with just broken hands. That in itself was astounding.

There were more images of him. Mostly photos of him at medical conferences, and award ceremonies, being lauded for his work on the most difficult cases, and his precision work with a scalpel. Every single photo was of a man fully enjoying his celebrity, happy, well dressed, a pretty girl on his arm… She took it all in, it hadn't just been his hands that had been broken by that crash, she realized; his life had been completely and utterly altered. He'd been broken. _My word, he is so alone now. He's still saving the world and yet no one even knows. That's heartbreaking._

"Hey Agent Simmons, they're looking for you for your weekly lie detector test," Daisy said as she swung into the lab.

She jumped. "Oh, are they?"

"What's that you're looking at?"

"Oh, nothing," her voice pitched.

Daisy came up behind her, "That is not nothing." She squinted. "Is that _Doctor Strange_?" She said using finger quotes, and a sing-song voice for drama.

"Um, yes, it is."

"He looks different without the Iron Man facial hair-"

"It's nothing like Tony Stark's beard."

"Yeah right. Not that it's a big deal, every guy walking down the street has an Iron Man beard these days."

Jemma folded her arms.

Daisy cozied up next to her. "Neurosurgeon hmm? Is that his car?"

"Mmm, yes, he was in an accident."

"Wow, that's quite a wreck. I'm surprised he wasn't killed or at least permanently injured."

"Well, he is," Jemma said turning off the laptop. "His hands were so badly damaged that he couldn't work as a surgeon anymore."

A look of dawning realization came over Daisy's face. "That's why they shake?"

"Yes."

"Oh." She put one hand over her face, "I feel like an idiot. I thought he'd burned himself on hot tea."

Jemma smiled. "At least you were concerned."

"I guess."

"I'd better not keep Mace waiting," she said as she exited the lab and hurried down to the lie detection center.

* * *

Jemma found herself hooked up to the lie detector machine once again.

"You're late Agent Simmons."

She turned, it was Mace.

He glanced over at the agent who was about to apply the test and gave him a dismissive look. "Not today Agent Rothechild."

The other agent stepped around his booth and helped Jemma back out of the gear he'd just helped to hook her up to.

Mace walked over toward her, "Let's take this to my office shall we?"

"All, all right. Is there anything wrong?"

He rolled his eyes. "Anything wrong?"

She hurried down the hallway behind him, as he walked briskly ahead of her, passing other agents with a hearty fake smile. This man was a political animal. She'd never met anyone who could lie quite so well and seem so nice even though she wasn't sure what to make of him exactly. Which was exactly why she didn't want to divulge anything about her whereabouts for the past week.

He took a right into his office, and shut the door behind the two of them. "Okay Agent Simmons, let's get right to it shall we? Where were you?"

"What?" She did her best phony surprise voice, which gauging his reaction was probably not that convincing. "I took a couple days off to visit my parents. I thought I'd mentioned that."

He sat down at his desk, leaving her standing before him, putting himself in the power position and her in the spot of the woman being interrogated. "Yes, I do remember that, but it has also come to my attention that trans-dimensional portals have been appearing in the lab."

"Oh that…"

"Yeah, that. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Oh well that's just… It's nothing to be worried about, it's um…"

"Yes?"

"It's just um… Doctor Strange." She could hear herself mumbling.

"What?"

"It's Doctor Strange. He's been helping with the… cleanup of Roxxon Industries."

He stood up, angrily. "I didn't authorize anyone to help with that? Did you authorize?-"

"No," she said meekly.

"Who is this guy? Has he even been briefed by S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Doubtful. I don't think he plays by our rules exactly. He claims to be a sorcerer, someone who protects the world from inter-dimensional beings."

"And he's been in our lab?"

"Yes. Well, only for a moment."

Mace looked down at her, his face stern. "And what exactly was the purpose of this visit?"

"Um, he invited Daisy and I for tea."

"For tea?"

"Yes, in New York."

He folded his arms. "And I suppose you went with him?"

She smiled a little, remembering the visit. "It was just tea." _And dinner in Greece, but don't mention that part Jemma. Just keep being pleasant._

"Mmm hmm…" There was something distinctly unhappy in that sound.

* * *

"How did the interrogation go?" Daisy asked when she walked back in.

Jemma was surprised to see her. "You're still here?"

Daisy set down her gauntlet. "Yeah, you haven't updated this yet."

"Oh, right." She opened up her laptop, taking the gauntlet and looking it over. "And as for the lie detector test, well, you were closer when you called it an interrogation."

Daisy's smile faltered. "Mace was there?"

"Yes. And he wanted to know about Stephen."

"Uh oh."

"Yes, so that went well," she said her voice pitching.

"Does he know you two were stranded in the Antarctic?"

Jemma handed the gauntlet back to Daisy looking her in the eye. "Everyone knows I took a holiday. Went to my parents' house for a visit."

"Mmm." Daisy nodded in understanding. "So, what is going on between you two anyway?"

"What?" Jemma dropped her pen.

"Seriously Jemma?" Daisy tilted her head. "Where is Fitz anyhow?"

"With Dr. Radcliffe and Aida of course. Where else would he be?"

"Uh huh…"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"There is trouble in paradise isn't there?"

"What, you mean with me and Fitz? Of course not."

Daisy stood up, and wandered about playing with an arrangement of clean beakers. "This explains why you're so into this Doctor Strange guy."

"I'm not _so into_ anyone except for Fitz. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No?" Daisy reached the door, but stood there a moment, her hand on the handle as if debating what she was going to say next. "Well, he's into you."

"How can you tell?" she blurted before she could stop herself.

Daisy's expression was one of disappointment. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You and Fitz should talk Jemma." And with that she left.

Jemma turned back to her laptop. She had a series of tests to run and two employee assessments to fill out... Why was everyone so down on Doctor Strange? He helped them protect the Darkhold and he was working with Coulson to collect all of the darkforce and get it out of the world. He was a good person after all. But, maybe she wasn't a good person. She was supposed to be with Fitz, but for the life of her all that had been on her mind the past week was Stephen. Even when they were stranded in the cave she hadn't looked at photos of Fitz or their recent vacation together or anything… and though he'd tried, she hadn't let him touch her since she'd come back. She was going to have to face facts, she'd changed.

Maybe she should talk to Fitz… She picked up her cracked phone but instead she dialed Stephen's number. "Why don't you come by the lab today? I want to talk about gauntlets."

* * *

It was 5. Everyone in the lab had gone home for the night when Stephen stepped out of a portal and into the lab.

It was late but she didn't mind. She only smiled at him. It seemed it had been forever since she'd seen him last… but what had it been a day or two? The lab seemed dank and dim and he seemed so out of place there, in her world.

"Hello Jemma," he said smiling at her. "I'm sorry it's late. I had some things to deal with at the Sanctum."

"Oh, it's all right." She heard herself, but it was as if some idiot had inhabited her body and now was babbling like a giddy schoolgirl. "Um, why don't you sit down here." She motioned to an office chair beside her desk.

He surveyed the area. "I guess I am late. You're the only one here? Where's Fitz?"

"Oh, right I think he and Dr. Radcliffe are putting together a presentation for the director. He's never done before 8 these days." She waved the whole thing off and moved over to her laptop again. "So, I've been looking into maybe working up another pair of gauntlets that are similar to Quake's. Something that could stop your hands from shaking at the very least…"

Doctor Strange sat down and looked up at her.

It was a little odd to have someone so obviously more powerful than she was at the receiving end of her advice, then again, it had happened once before… She gazed at him as she remembered, and then catching his eye, returned to pulling up the files and information she'd collected on her laptop.

"And, just so that I'm certain of what I'm dealing with here. What kind of pain are you in?" She looked down at him, "You are in pain?"

Stephen dropped his eyes to his hands, which were resting awkwardly on his lap, "Yes."

"And, could you describe that to me?"

He hesitated. "Constant. Usually it's a tingling, burning sensation, but sometimes when it's really acting up it feels like a sudden jolt of electricity shooting up my arm." He clenched and unclenched his right hand, "And, sometimes it's just numb."

"And, you don't take anything for it?"

"I can't." He met her eyes. "It would make it too difficult to concentrate on studying magic."

That was sad. His mouth was drawn in a firm line of sorrow. His, usually slicked back dark hair, was hanging in bangs over his forehead.

"I'm sorry…" she said softly.

He smiled a little at her, as if to comfort her.

Jemma added a note to her file, and turned back to him. "I have a gauntlet prototype here." She took a basic white plastic gauntlet form from a case. "I'm just going to fit it to your hand and take measurements if that's all right with you?"

He nodded.

"Good." She smiled and waited as he took off a watch so that his hand would fit more properly into the form. "I Googled you."

"Oh really?"

She turned her laptop so that he could see the results. "You have a sidebar."

He smiled a lopsided smile at her.

"And…" She clicked on the images, "You look handsome in a tux."

Stephen moved a little closer so that he could see the photos that were coming up. They were images of him at medical conferences.

"That was a long time ago."

"Two years?"

He sat back. "A lifetime ago."

Jemma pointed at one of the photos, in which he was standing beside a girl in a long flowing white dress. "Pretty girl."

"Hmm…" He studied the picture for a minute thoughtfully. "That's Dr. Christine Palmer. She was a colleague."

"I see."

Jemma hovered over him. She lifted his hand gently and set it down in the white form, and tried the Velcro straps. "You were a celebrity in the medical world hmm?"

His eyes roved slowly up her chest and captured the features of her face. "I was good with my hands."

For a moment she wasn't certain how to take that.

"I can't believe you actually Googled me. I'm flattered."

She blushed. "I saw your car accident too I'm afraid."

He stared out at the form his hand was in as Jemma measured the length of the proposed gauntlet.

"I can't believe you lived. That was a terrible crash."

"I used to think maybe I shouldn't have, but now I think it's just something that happened and I have to move forward. You know what I mean?"

Jemma unwrapped the Velcro and slowly caressed his hand. "Yes, I do."

He focused on her hand on top of his. "You said that Hydra had me on their list?"

"Yes. It was on a list Captain America had, I mean… Steve Rogers. Part of an algorithm of anyone who might cause a problem for Hydra."

"When did Captain America obtain this list?" He lifted his eyes from her hand to her face, hovering over his.

"Two years ago…"

Their eyes met in realization.

"Oh my god," she said soberly and pulled her hand from his slightly.

"No," he uttered, recapturing it in his own.

Her eyes were drawn to their entwined hands, even though she was stunned at the immediate realization that he had probably been a victim of Hydra. They still had his name and were still picking off people who were on the algorithm Zola had created. She turned over his hand slowly and, examined it. Tracing one scar from the tip of his finger down over his knuckle, lingering on the back of his hand, and then smoothing over a vein and down the length of the scar.

He closed his eyes.

She hesitated, her fingers poised over his hand and then turned it over and skimmed over his palm, tenderly and deliberately, drawing out her examination.

Stephen released a little noise that sort of sounded like a cut-off sigh. He seemed to be fighting against something. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, intensely.

She met his gaze, and continued her exploration of the palm of his hand, in light brushing strokes, feathering out opening up his fingers, and tracing the outer edge of his hand, only to circle back in to the center of his palm.

He hid his face in his other splayed hand for a moment, as if uncertain what to do and then finally leaped to his feet and crushed his mouth against hers. His breath coming hard, his hands closed on the back of her neck, holding her to him firmly.

She felt his tongue on her lips, and she opened to let him push himself into her mouth. Jemma's tongue rolled over his. She remembered this… It had only been a week ago that she'd first tasted his kiss, and she'd found herself thinking of it ever since.

He pushed her back against her desk, gasping, his hands smoothed down her back slowly, his head tilted, kissing her passionately.

Jemma touched his jaw tentatively, and he moaned into her mouth. It must've been a long time since he'd been touched by anyone. She ran one hand down his neck lightly, and onto his chest and he swallowed hard.

Stephen lifted her off her feet and pushed her against the wall, his body pressed into hers.

"You wanted me to," he whispered raggedly into her ear. "This time you wanted me to… didn't you?"

She smiled at him and kissed his neck tenderly.

He released sort of a purr, sort of a soft moan… "Jemma…"

She felt his fingers with feathery lightness traveling down her neck lower, and lower, at an agonizingly slow pace, as she continued to lavish kisses, on him, sucking and licking his delicate flesh. Then her stomach did a flip, as she felt his hand leaving her neck and skimming down her collarbone; electric.

"Oh," she moaned against him, her breath catching in her throat.

His fingers brushed over her breast deftly, cupping it lightly at first, and then more firmly, pressing his palm against her nipple. His control waning.

"Stephen…"

He captured her mouth once more and cradled her jaw as he pinioned her against the wall. "Come back to the Sanctum with me."

She felt dizzy… they needed something more private… suddenly there was no 'he might kiss me' there was only what was going to happen next. She couldn't think straight…

"Please."

"No one can know," she whispered.

He only nodded and slid on his slingring.

"Agent Simmons." Director Mace walked into the room. His eyes widened when he saw Doctor Strange, and then a look of realization of what he'd just walked in on crossed his face. "Oh, I see…"

Stephen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and helped Jemma out of the corner.

"Director Mace," Jemma said, lowering her eyes to the floor.

Doctor Strange surveyed him much the way one might examine a bug, and strode forward without any embarrassment about what he might have just seen. "I've heard so much about you Director," he held out a hand. "I'm Doctor Strange."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

"I've heard so much about you Director," he held out a hand. "I'm Doctor Strange."

"The…" Mace looked over toward Jemma for help, "the sorcerer?"

Stephen glanced over his shoulder at her now as well, and then back at Mace, "The Master of the Mystic Arts."

"Of course you are." He shook Doctor Strange's hand uncertainly.

Stephen smirked.

"We need to debrief you."

"Now?"

Mace's face stretched with a strained smile. "No, no of course not. It's late. But we'd need you to come back in and talk with an agent."

"Perhaps Agent Simmons-"

"Simmons is the head of the science department, so it wouldn't be her."

"I see."

Director Mace's eyes moved from Doctor Strange over to Jemma. "I'm just returning from Dr. Radcliffe's presentation. I expect Agent Fitz is probably on his way over here."

"Oh is he?" She touched her lips absently.

"Well… see that Mr. Strange stops by tomorrow." And then he left.

Stephen rolled his eyes and mouthed his full name at Jemma as he turned around.

She smiled. "Oh it's only Jeffrey. He's a…"

"Great guy?"

" _Politician_ \- is what I was going to say."

"Mmm… same thing."

"Quite."

He took a step toward her, so that they were close once more. "I'd be willing to mess with natural law to erase that last interruption."

"What does that mean?"

"Turn back time."

"You don't really mean…?"

"Yes. You don't really expect me to come in tomorrow for a debriefing?"

"Would it hurt?"

He made a face. "I don't see myself on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s team."

"And what team do you see yourself on?"

He hesitated, "The sorcerers of this world don't really worry about what people are doing to each other; we don't take sides. S.H.I.E.L.D. is somewhat petty. We are protecting the earth from supernatural forces that seek to destroy it. That's my role, not worrying about who did what to whom… I wouldn't be able to choose Steve Rogers over Tony Stark or vice versa, they were both being idiots."

"So, you're… Jon Snow?"

His face cracked into a smile, "Something like that."

Jemma looked down. He was standing so close, she found herself staring down at his boots. "I think it would be best if you did come in tomorrow for a debriefing. Even if you don't give them much information."

"Why is that?"

"You heard Mace. He wants me to make sure you are here," she said lifting her eyes to look at him. "He is offering this so that he'll stay quiet. I'm sure he saw everything… or at least enough to make things uncomfortable for me here."

"Mmm, that's probably true," he said softly. "Okay, I'll come by."

She flung her arms around him. "Thank you."

He caught her and ran his hands over her back slowly, resting his head on the top of hers. "Are you still interested in coming back to the Sanctum with me?"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now," she said sadly as she released him. "Fitz will be walking in here any minute wondering why you're here."

He touched her cheek gently gazing into her eyes, and then pulled away.

"I'm… sorry."

"Don't be," he said smiling at her thoughtfully. "I'll do whatever you want."

"Oh don't say that." She strode forward. "It's as if you've left the ball completely in my court and I don't know what to do with it."

"Jemma, the ball is in your court. I'm the interloper here…" He paused and then drew a portal in the air back to the Sanctum.

"Stephen…" She walked toward him.

He faced her once more.

"Don't leave like this."

"How should I leave?" Doctor Strange said looking down at her.

"I'm just… I'm just really confused…" She met his bluish green eyes. His strikingly chiseled face… She wanted… she wanted… she had no idea at all anymore.

He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, "Fitz is going to walk in."

"What?" Her mouth was still open when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

Doctor Strange stepped into the portal and was gone.

"All done with that ghastly presentation," Fitz announced as he waltzed into the room.

Jemma startled and spun around, grinning like an idiot, at him. "Oh, that's good."

"Good?"

"Hmm?" Even her non-verbal responses seemed pitchy. She hurriedly moved toward her desk and picked up the gauntlet form and put it back in the case it had come from.

"What's that then?"

"What?"

"That gauntlet." He moved toward her. "Is that for Daisy?"

"Oh, yes," she smiled and then she changed her mind. "No, no this is another one I'm looking into for Doctor Strange. He has um, a nerve damage problem with his hands. I was just thinking maybe I could use the gauntlets to help him somehow." She blushed furiously, she knew she'd said all of that way too fast. She needed to calm down, but instead she bustled on at a harried pace cleaning up her desk.

"What are you still doing here?"

This set her on edge. He could stay late on the job but she could not? "I'm working Fitz, obviously. I am the head of the science department for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Well, of course you are," he said smiling. "But, I didn't realize you were planning on staying late tonight."

"Well," she rounded on him. "Maybe because you're never around anymore to ask me what I'm doing? You're too busy with Radcliffe working on your next Life Model Decoy. You never know what I'm doing, or where I am, or who I'm doing it with…" _Backtrack, backtrack, that was really bad!_ "I mean… what I'm working on."

"What are you so upset about?" He looked back at where she'd had the gauntlet and saw a chair pulled out beside her desk. "Was Doctor Strange here?"

 _Oh brilliant…_ "He was… earlier." _Technically it was earlier._

"And, you're working on gauntlets for the nerve damage he has in his hands?" He met her eyes. "I didn't know he had nerve damage in his hands."

"Well, yes, he does. He told me about it when we were stranded in Antarctica. It's kind of hard to miss really if you think about it, I mean his hands do shake."

"Do they? I hadn't noticed." He folded his arms.

"Yes. From a medical standpoint-"

"Something happened between you two didn't it?"

"What?! No, of course not." _That wasn't an overreaction was it?_ "He's really arrogant; you know I think that. And, he's kind of weird looking… definitely not my type at all."

"Not your type at all? A brilliant doctor is not your type?"

Her mouth was suddenly open and she didn't know how to shut it. How did he know that? "He's a, a sorcerer…"

"And a former neurosurgeon. You told me that remember? After you got back from being trapped in Antarctica?"

"Oh right, I did. Well, you know it was a lot of dead time, we had to do something to pass the time… A lot of talking-"

"And other things," he grumbled pushing Doctor Strange's chair back where it belonged.

"What are you referring to?"

"You bloody well know what I'm referring to don't you?" He waved his hand erratically in the air, "He had hypothermia. I know the treatment options available to you did not involve electric blankets."

"Fitz, I didn't have any choice. He would've died."

He stopped, and said calmly, looking up at her. "I know that, but is that all there was Jemma? You seem so changed since you came back. We sleep in the same bed but you won't even let me kiss you goodnight."

Jemma turned away from him. He was right, things had changed, and she didn't know what to think of it herself. She agonized over telling him. Sometimes… if this was all going to blow over, sometimes it was just better not to say anything, then to speak up and cause him unnecessary pain. But, she didn't know if it was going to blow over, she couldn't get Stephen off of her mind…

"I think," she began and faced him finally. "I think maybe we should take a break."

"So, something _did_ happen," he said as if he'd known it all along.

"Yes Fitz, something happened. You spent all of your waking hours working in some other lab with other people and never once made time for me."

"Oh, now you're going to put this on me? Because I have to do what S.H.I.E.L.D. tells me Jemma. That's my job!"

She folded her arms. "I didn't want to go back to the Sanctum. As a matter of fact, Coulson wanted you to take the darkforce over there for him but you, as usual, were unavailable, so I was stuck with it. I didn't plan to spend two days alone with Doctor Strange, but he was attacked while I was there, and we were thrown through a portal. An odd series of events caused this whole thing to transpire, it wasn't a plan, it just happened this way, and your continued lack of interest in _us_ helped it to flourish!"

"But still Jemma, I love you." He took a step toward her, "Don't you still love me?"

"Of course, I still… care." She lowered her eyes, "But, I don't know if it's enough right now. Caring about someone in a relationship that's not working… I don't know. I just need some… time."

"Time to figure out if you want me or… the superhero?"

She lifted her eyes to look at him darkly. "Time to figure out who I am now."

"Well, I just might not be here when you get back."

She rolled her eyes. "No, I expect you'll be with Dr. Radcliffe."

* * *

"So you didn't really break up with Fitz?" Daisy asked as she caught up with Jemma.

Jemma had been walking down the hall at a quick pace hoping to avoid any encounters with Fitz. She'd slept in her own room last night, alone. It was the first time in months, and it felt very odd. It was lonely, and new… and she really didn't want to discuss this right now. "We didn't _break up_ we're just… on a break."

"Oh, that's not what Fitz said."

She stopped and Daisy in turn, also stopped. "When did you talk to him?" They have a row last night and now it's common knowledge around the base?

"About an hour ago. Jemma, he was a wreck-"

"I don't want to hear this." She started back down the hallway at a brisk pace once more but Daisy had a hold of her arm, and she swung around helplessly. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to stop you from throwing away a really good relationship for one that's only going to make you miserable."

"W, what?"

Daisy shook her head. "Doctor Strange, really? I mean, I understand that you were stranded with him for a little while but Jemma, I think you're confusing true love with some sort of infatuation for this guy because he's…"

Jemma frowned, "A _super_?"

She laughed, "Yeah, well I guess so."

"He's a good person Daisy. I don't know why you won't give him a chance."

"Yeah right."

"He is! He doesn't have to have this permanent injury to his hands, he could heal himself with his powers, but he doesn't because if he did he wouldn't be able to use his power to protect this world. So he suffers with the constant pain. He could go back to having his old life!"

"Yeah, Fitz is pretty broken up about that. Oh, by the way, thanks for getting Doctor Strange in here. He's being debriefed as we speak."

Jemma turned suddenly. Mace was standing over her. _Oh, you've got to be kidding me? Who didn't Fitz blab to?_

"Well, all right, I'll take the blame. I'll be the villain in this if that's what Fitz wants. I don't care anymore." She strode down the hall toward the rooms used for debriefing.

* * *

"Coulson, I didn't expect you to be doing my debriefing. Don't you have more important things to do?" Doctor Strange said as he settled himself into one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s office chairs.

"Probably," Coulson said smiling.

Stephen sighed somewhat annoyed and tapped his fingers on the chair arm. "Well, you already know just about everything I'm willing to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. anyhow."

"Do I?"

"Yes," he said meeting Coulson's eyes. His patience with Phil was wearing thin, he was, after all, only doing this for Jemma's benefit, so that Mace didn't tell people whatever he might've seen happen between himself and her.

"Decided not to leave Simmons alone hmm?"

"What?" He was suddenly very aware of what Coulson was saying.

It was Coulson's turn to become aloof. He focused on the papers on the table in front of him. The light shone, a harsh sort of light on his face, enhancing the lines on his forehead. "Fitz told me this morning."

He felt trapped in their base, which was stupid, because he could've left at any time, but still S.H.I.E.L.D. was were Hydra had been hiding all that time and now he knew that Hydra had been the one to knock his car off the road, destroying his hands and his life in the process. Stephen leaned forward in his chair, meeting Coulson's eyes. Coulson was toying with him, or attempting to…

"You already have a file on me as I understand it."

"Do we?"

"Hydra did."

"We're not Hydra."

Stephen shook his head unconvinced. "If Hydra had one, then so do you."

Coulson smiled. "All right, so maybe we do." He pulled a file out and set it on the table. "But, it's not very lengthy, it only goes into your life before the accident."

"Well," Stephen sat back, tilted his head to one side confidently. "What more do you need to know?"

"Obviously, you're working out of someplace in Katmandu. That much we've established. Is that where your powers came from?"

Doctor Strange thought of how he'd waited on the steps of Kamar-Taj for hours before The Ancient One would even allow him to spend the night, and how he'd studied for months under her tutelage and here Coulson wanted answers instantly, and he smiled, there was no way he was going to divulge so much information to them. "You wouldn't understand it."

Coulson laughed dismissively. "Well, Nick Fury says you're _a friendly_ , at this moment I'm not so sure, but I'll assume that's true."

"Mmm hmm…" Maybe if someone had tried being a little friendlier…

"And if it came down to it, you'd help S.H.I.E.L.D."

Strange raised an eyebrow. "I have helped you to retrieve the darkforce Phil, and to contain the Darkhold, you haven't forgotten already have you?"

"Well, I mean if it comes to it. You'll help us uphold the Accords?"

Doctor Strange shifted in his chair, buying time… this wasn't a question he really wanted to answer but… "No. I don't see myself involved in anything that has to do with the Accords, so no, I wouldn't help you uphold them."

"Oh really? I see."

He glanced to the right, his eyes suddenly drawn to movement just outside the window into the hall.

Fitz was standing there. Arms folded. Staring in at him.

Doctor Strange tilted his head to one side. "Did you say Fitz had said something to you earlier?" he asked slowly.

"Hmm?" Coulson followed his gaze to the window, where Fitz was. "Oh no." He moved to stand but Stephen stood instead, motioning for him to stay.

"It's all right. I'll handle this."

Coulson stood anyhow. "Doctor Strange please, let me deal with this-"

Strange exited to the room and no sooner had he gotten out the door then Fitz had taken a swing at him, which was caught by the Cloak of Levitation.

"You bastard!"

Fitz moved to punch him with his left hand but the cloak stopped that as well.

Doctor Strange met his eyes, looking slightly shocked.

"Fitz stop!" Coulson tried to get out of the door behind Doctor Strange, but Strange slammed the door shut with his magic, locking it.

"Fitz," Stephen said, reasonably. "Why?-"

"You know perfectly well why!" Fitz fought with the cloak, which hand wrapped both of his hands up in its folds and would not let him go. "What the bloody hell?!"

"Let him go."

The cloak unfurled and released Fitz, and he pulled away from Doctor Strange, taking several steps back. "How could you?"

"H, how could I what?"

"Used your magic on Jemma obviously, turned her against me."

"I didn't."

"Right, sure," Fitz spat, agitatedly pacing back and forth. "Why else would she have broken up with me right after you two spent a couple nights in a cave together in Antarctica?"

Doctor Strange went limp, his mouth curved into a stupid smile, his defensive stance slackened and his arms fell to his sides. "What?"

"Yeah, that's right. She ended it. You must've known."

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, well, allow me to give you the good news then," Fitz said sarcastically.

"Huh…" Was all he could muster, in the darkened hallway of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, with Coulson pressed up against the door and several other unknown agents grouping in clumps around the two of them. He had no idea what to think or do, he was just carried away on a wave of sweet happiness, which he hadn't felt in ages…

A heartbeat later Fitz managed to punch him in the mouth before the cloak caught his hand and held it fast.

* * *

Doctor Strange came up blooded and touched his lip with his tongue checking for blood.

"Fitz! What are you doing?!"

He turned toward her, struggling to get loose of the cloak. "Jemma?"

She pushed through the other agents and took in the whole scene. Fitz captured by Stephen's cloak somehow and Stephen standing there bloodied, and looking completely exasperated.

Fitz moved toward her but she bypassed him and went to Doctor Strange instead. "Are you all right?"

He nodded and whispered into her ear, "You broke up with Fitz? A little heads up would've been nice."

"Let me go," Fitz demanded.

"I don't know about that," Doctor Strange said. "The last time I let you go, trusting you to behave in a gentlemanly manner, and you hit me in the face."

"Well maybe you shouldn't go around kissing other people's girlfriends!"

"I…"

Jemma looked up at Doctor Strange, he'd stopped himself before blaming Jemma for the whole thing. She probably should've been the one with the bloodied lip, if either of them really deserved one.

"He didn't," she said looking at Fitz.

"W, what do you?..." A realization dawned in his eyes.

"It was me."

"Jemma…" It was nearly a pleading sound. He didn't want to know the truth all of a sudden, he wanted to blame Doctor Strange. Well, now he couldn't. If he was going to blame someone it would have to be her.

"Yes, Fitz. I betrayed your trust."

"Yes, but… his magic…"

"Didn't cause us to be apart for the past few months. Blame S.H.I.E.L.D. if you like, blame your interest in LMDs, blame Radcliffe, blame me for feeling scared and alone and attracted to another man, but Stephen didn't use his magic to make me care about him. That's just ridiculous."

Fitz looked crushed, and she was the one who had crushed him… She felt like a horrible person.

"Let him go."

The cloak released his hands once more, and Fitz turned and walked away.

"Oh, Fitz…" she said sadly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

" _You've got a hold of me_

 _Don't even know your power_

 _I stand a hundred feet_

 _But I fall when I'm around you"_

 _~Shawn Mendes_

* * *

"Did you just choose me over Fitz?" Stephen whispered into her ear.

"Doctor Strange, Fitz and I are on a break," she said curtly. "I did not, in fact break up with Fitz so that I could become your girlfriend."

"Oh, you didn't." He seemed to deflate in the hallway at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in front of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"No. I am not a co-dependent serial monogamist who has to jump from relationship to relationship in order to feel fulfilled in life. I am the Advisor in Science and Technology for S.H.I.E.L.D." Jemma strode away.

He stared after her as she departed, his heart falling from his chest into the pit of his stomach.

Coulson was banging on the office door, and with a wave of his hand the door was unlocked.

"Well, that was disappointing," Coulson said as he came up behind Strange.

Stephen glanced over his shoulder, down at him. "Don't… talk to me." A moment later he opened a portal back to the Sanctum and walked through.

"What it something I said?" Was the last thing he heard Coulson say as he shut the portal behind him.

Doctor Strange looked about himself. The Sanctum was calm, solid, old, and sobering. He felt his body rocked with a chaos of emotion. One moment hopeful, the next his adrenaline had kicked in, then he'd been basked in complete happiness… and then had the floor pulled fully out from under his feet, until there seemed nothing but a well of sorrow. The Sanctum offered solace. It was cool and sturdy and empty and no one could possibly be there to hurt or chide him.

He reached out with both of his hands and braced himself against the walls of the narrow hallway, releasing a sob of despair. He hadn't lashed out at Fitz, he could've, he hadn't injured anyone, he'd could wield so much power, but he hadn't, he'd remained tempered… and it had amounted to nothing but ridicule for him… Sometimes it was better to be alone. And anyhow, he had work, work he'd been putting off because he wanted to be with Jemma. Maybe now he could just get on with it…

Somehow, this hadn't turned out the way he'd expected at all, and that was the most confusing part of it. He'd thought that once Jemma had chosen between the two of them there would be some clarity, he'd know whether he should try to continue pursuing her or if he should back off. But now he was stuck in a place of utter confusion, she hadn't chosen Fitz it seemed but she hadn't chosen him either, as a matter of fact she seemed to loathe him now. But she'd kissed him… she'd been the one to make the first move so he could not figure out what was going on. She'd stripped him of his clothes and… No, if he thought too much on this it would only make going back to his study impossible… and anyhow, she didn't want him, apparently… But that didn't make sense either. They'd just made out in her lab yesterday, and she was definitely interested. If Jeffrey Mace hadn't walked in on them he was certain they'd still be lying in bed right…

For one moment he considered the Eye of Agamotto as a means of turning back time, and then dismissed that idea.

He released the walls he'd braced himself against and made his way down the hall, exhausted, and moved down the hallway toward his study.

* * *

"So he impressed you?"

Jemma stood at her lab, the gauntlet form in her hands, her back to Coulson who had just walked into the room. She closed her eyes, she'd managed to be alone all of fifteen minutes before a member of the team had found her. Not everything in her life was meant for them. This wasn't. Her relationship with Fitz, although public, wasn't.

"Yes," she sighed. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Well, who wouldn't be impressed? Heck, I'm still impressed by Steve Rogers truth be told. Don't tell Mace that."

She focused on the notes she'd taken for a special gauntlet for Doctor Strange. "Hmm? Oh, no I won't. I'm certain they'll probably polish up Steve's old uniform for Director Mace and just let him go out as Captain America eventually anyhow. No one deserves it more." Her voice died. She really didn't want to talk right now. She wanted to just be left alone…

He chuckled. "Yeah, right. That would be the day."

She turned around. "No really, I'm quite serious."

His smile faded.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, I do need to write up progress reports on Agents Porter and Anderson."

"Are you all right Simmons?"

"Yes," she lied. "Never better." This answer seemed to satisfy him, at least he left, and once he did she minimized the notes on the gauntlets and started work at the half started progress reports. They weren't exciting or glamorous but they were a part of her job she needed to finish. At any rate she was certain she'd made Porter and Anderson's day a little better, they'd be offered raises, she, on the other hand, would have to figure out what her plans for the future were now.

She clicked back on the gauntlet notes, and began flipping through them…

* * *

Three months later…

The gauntlets were finished. Jemma had spent every waking moment, not otherwise occupied by S.H.I.E.L.D. business, researching, building and refining the gauntlets until they were completed. They may need some tweaking but that would be impossible to know until they were actually tried out by the person they were made for.

It had been months since she'd spoken to Doctor Strange. Although a quick look around her room at the base revealed several vases of roses and varying stages of decay, all tokens of affection from him that had mysteriously appeared from time to time while she was out working elsewhere. There were several notes of apology for being so presumptuous. There was one where he'd actually poured out his soul to her, but she had not really known what to say at the time and so said nothing. After that the roses were only signed _Stephen._

Fitz had been spending his time actively avoiding her, she assumed. Although, he spent so much of his time with Radcliffe working on new LMDs that she wasn't certain if he had actually given the whole thing any thought at all. When she broached this subject with him he didn't say more than a couple words. When she'd originally wanted a break from their relationship she hadn't considered it completely over, she figured they both needed some time to decide where things were naturally headed for them, for Fitz it seemed, the most natural thing was to hole himself up in the lab and work nonstop on Life Model Decoys. She shouldn't have been surprised but for some reason, she kind of was, she'd thought she did mean more to him than that. But, that was the reason she'd sort of fallen for Stephen anyhow wasn't it? He was available. He noticed her, he talked to her, and he didn't take her for granted. Fitz had become that person who took her for granted. She mourned his lost for the last three months as she worked on Stephen's gauntlets, and whatever projects Director Mace thought she should be focusing on. She mourned him silently, as members of the team gradually grew to accept the chasm that had grown between her and Fitz, and as the roses started to pour into her room. Eventually, the mourning had given way to a feeling of independence.

Gauntlets finished she opened, gazed at and closed the case she'd secured them in. Patting it gently as she moved to take a quick shower and freshen up before she caught a flight to NYC on a private S.H.I.E.L.D. plane. Her surprise for an old friend…

* * *

It was early evening by the time Jemma's taxi pulled up. The road was wet, the sidewalk littered by half melted snowdrifts, and slush. She was wearing a black, knee length parka today, not taking any chances.

A rucksack over one shoulder and a briefcase with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo in her other hand, she approached the large, wooden, Sanctum door. Doctor Strange had no idea she'd be coming to call, nonetheless though…

The door swung open, and Stephen stepped out onto the street. His eyes met hers, a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

"Jemma…" he said seemingly at a loss.

She grinned, "Hello Stephen. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time, I wanted to surprise you."

He smiled, maybe a little overwhelmed… "You have." He glanced down at the briefcase she was carrying and back up at her.

"Yes," she said laughing. "I told you I wanted to surprise you."

"Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, and then he seemed stunned to see she'd brought a rucksack with her. "Come inside." He moved to one side and she walked in.

Once in the hallway she realized he was not alone. There were two men standing in the hall, in heated conversation.

Doctor Strange closed the door behind her and put himself between them and her. Now, Stephen was a tall man, much taller than she was, but both of these men towered over him.

The taller of the two was broad, and blond and handsome wearing worn jeans and a navy hoodie, his hair tied back into a topknot. The other was slender, and pale with striking, delicate features and a long black mullet. Of the two of them, he seemed suddenly riveted to her and the interaction between she and Doctor Strange, which was a little unnerving.

For some reason they both looked extremely familiar to her.

The blond-haired one glanced at her, and then took note of her briefcase, his eyes lingered on the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. Probably not the most inconspicuous briefcase she could've traveled with.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I won't be a minute," Stephen said over his shoulder and then focused back on Jemma. "In here," he ushered her into a room she'd never noticed before.

There was very little inside, it just looked like an office. A desk, and a couple of antique chairs stood in the center of the room.

"Jemma," he said in nearly a sigh when they were alone, moving toward her. "I am so pleased to see you."

"I did come at a bad time-"

"No, not at all," he said hastily. "I'll only be a few minutes and then they'll be leaving, I hope."

"All right, if you don't mind me waiting. It was a rather long flight," she said plopping down her bag.

His eyes followed longingly as it hit the floor and then lifted his eyes to look into hers. "You could have called me, I would've just sent a portal."

She smiled at him. "It's been a while… I didn't want to be a burden."

"You never could be."

She felt the heat rising to her face, and fought to stop it. "Um… well, I do have something for you." Jemma reached for the briefcase but he put his hand tentatively over it.

"I'm sorry. I have to deal with Thor and Loki right now, but I will come back after they've left."

"What?! No wonder they looked so familiar!"

"Yes," he breathed not seeming too much more self-assured when it came to dealing with gods than she was. "They have come for my assistance so I must, at least, hear them out."

She felt suddenly weak. "They need _your_ assistance?" She'd clearly not been giving him the benefit of the doubt. And, she felt really odd about the fact that Asgardians were looking to Doctor Strange for help when she'd rebuffed him several times… and all of S.H.I.E.L.D. had done little else besides belittle him.

"Yes Jemma."

"Did you say Loki?" She sat down behind the desk.

"Mm hmm, why do you ask?"

"He killed Coulson."

"I know," he said, his voice low and soft. "Don't go out into the hallway."

This rattled her for some reason. "What do you mean? Are you going to leave them out there?"

He strode to the door. "Don't worry, I'm going to magically seal this room. You'll be safe in here."

"All, all right…" Jemma sat back down, a line of worry etched into her brow.

* * *

Doctor Strange closed the door behind him with a snap and drawing on his magic, a golden spell whirred in the air encircling the handle and then encompassing the door as he locked it magically. When he turned around Thor and Loki were right behind him.

Loki met his eyes, in a dangerous and amused sort of way, eyeing the door, and then looking back down at Stephen.

Doctor Strange turned away from him. "Thor, come this way."

"What about m-" Loki began but quickly found he was unable to follow the two of them down the hallway.

"We'll be back soon," Stephen called back to him and then turned immediately toward Thor. "I don't mean to offend, but I'm not interested in making any sort of alliance with your brother."

Thor nodded quietly, and followed him down the darkened hallway and up two flights of stairs into an office.

"Have a seat," Stephen offered the god. "Forgive my abruptness, it's not often I have company let alone juggling two gods and an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Ah yes, the girl-"

"Woman."

"Right. I noticed the emblem on her case," Thor said as he sat back on the heavy leather chair. "You work with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Stephen settled down at his desk. "When they have supernatural problems."

"I see. So, earth has wizards now, eh?"

"Tea?"

"I don't drink tea," Thor said, a cup of tea in his hand.

"Well, what do you drink?"

"Not tea." As he pulled his hand back toward him he saw that he was now holding a large mug of beer.

"So, I keep a watch-list of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world. Your adopted brother Loki is one of those beings."

"A worthy inclusion," Thor said polishing off the beer.

"Yeah, so why bring him here to New York?"

"It's a bit of a long story, family drama, that kind of thing but we're looking for my father."

"Oh, okay so if you found Odin you'd all return to Asgard promptly?"

"Oh yes, promptly."

"Great. Allow me to help you," Doctor Strange said as he stood. Thor was on his heels.

"You know where he is?"

He nodded. "I will have to talk to Agent Simmons before we leave. This could take some time, I can't keep her locked in the Sanctum."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

" _The missing piece I yearn to find_

 _So close, please clear the anguish from my mind"_

 _~Olafur Arnalds feat Arnor Dan_

* * *

Jemma pulled aside a window blind to stare out at the people passing. Some slipping, annoyed by the muck getting on their shoes. A crazy bicycle messenger that nearly knocked down two women as he decided to cut the corner and avoid traffic on the sidewalk. Slush hit the window as he passed, it was hard and startled her and that was why she hadn't heard the door crack open she guessed.

"Oh hello."

She turned toward the voice, expecting it to be Stephen, although it sounded nothing like him. She was still stunned when it was, in fact, Loki.

He smiled at her. Not a kind smile, more genuinely happy for himself. She was not sure why though, she had nothing he could possibly want.

"Loki," she blurted.

He grinned. "I am." And he let himself into the room. "I believe you have me at a bit of a disadvantage, you know who I am but I'm afraid I have no idea who you are… although…" He walked over to the briefcase and examined it. "It would seem you work for my friends at S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Friends?" She did her best at speaking, and remaining upright. Jemma could feel the blood draining out of her head as fear was overtaking her.

"Agent Romanoff, Director Fury and Hawkeye." He met her eyes as he drew nearer.

She slowly slid down the wall until she felt the edge of the windowsill and sat herself in it as naturally as she could. She shook her head. "I have only met Nick Fury, I don't work for him."

"Agent…?"

"Simmons."

"Try to breathe Agent Simmons. Mortals generally need to practice this or they'll pass out I find." He picked at some of the mundane items on the desk, a large glass paperweight and an old quill pen that looked like some sort of antique…

She couldn't even speak. It terrified her that he realized she was so scared of him that she was starting to lose consciousness. This was the being that had killed Coulson, and had led an alien invasion to earth… but still, she needed to try to buck up. She closed her eyes for a moment, she needed to calm herself… think about something happy… _kittens? No, not kittens Simmons, pull yourself together._ Something soothing… _that beach in Greece, the one you went to with Stephen… that was nice… the water was slowly lapping onto the beach-_

"Agent Simmons?" Loki's voice woke her.

She opened her eyes. He was standing directly in front of her, towering over her. He seemed bemused.

"You really are about to faint aren't you?"

She looked up at him defiantly. "No. I wouldn't give you that satisfaction."

He smirked. "Oh no?"

"That's right." She stood back up again. "Stephen will be back any minute."

"Stephen hmm?" He cracked a smile. "Not Doctor Strange? That sounds like you two might be very cozy."

She narrowed her eyes and scowled at him.

"Jemma?" That was Stephen's voice.

Loki spun around so that he was no longer blocking the path between Jemma and the door.

Doctor Strange and Thor entered the room. Stephen glanced at the door curiously and then looked at Loki with a scowl equal to the one Jemma had just given him.

"Stephen," she gasped rushing into his arms. She hadn't meant to be so weak but the relief of having him near her after being menaced by a being who was powerful and chaotic had made her more emotional than she'd expected.

He caught her and held her up. His eyes focused on Loki's.

"What have you been doing brother?" Thor asked as he pushed Loki back against the desk.

"Nothing. The mortal and I merely had a conversation about our friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. She seemed to be feeling faint, I was just about to offer her a glass of water as a matter of fact."

Doctor Strange's face turned a shade of pink.

Thor glanced back at him, and then he spoke to Loki. "The wizard has agreed to help us find father, and you're in here harassing his friend? How do you expect him to help us now?"

"That's a good question," Doctor Strange said angrily. "Thor, keep an eye on your brother while I tend to Agent Simmons please." He lifted Jemma into his arms, walked out the door and without turning around the door shut and locked itself.

There was a general sort of cry of shock from both of the Asgardians as he carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

* * *

"Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" He said as he laid her down on his bed.

She clung to him as he tried to pull away.

He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her close. "I have you," he said reassuringly.

She was nearly limp with fear, but as he cradled her in his arms she felt safe. He held her to him, tightly. He was strong now and she was weak now, and she wanted someone to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, even if it wouldn't. She wanted to lose herself in that idea, so that she could catch her breath.

He stroked her hair gently, wrapping her up against his strong chest. "I won't let anything happen to you. You know that don't you?"

She nodded. "I got the roses you sent," she uttered.

"Did you?" he said. She could feel his chest rumble as he spoke, his voice deep.

"Yes. The one… the one with the long letter…" she whispered, the top of her head under his chin.

"But, you didn't reply."

She could hear his heart beating a little faster… and she could feel her own heart beating faster. "I was working on a surprise for you."

"What surprise?"

She pulled back to look up at him. "Gauntlets. I made you gauntlets."

"What?" He looked completely stunned and delighted.

"For the shaking," she explained. "And the pain, and the numbness, all of it really."

"What?... Where-"

"In the briefcase downstairs. I guess there's no way to get it now though."

"Oh yes there is." He put on his slingring and carved a small portal into the air. Within she could see the backs of two Asgardian brothers, debating the fate of Asgard at the hands of someone called Hela. The portal was right in front of her case and her rucksack. Doctor Strange reached in a lifted the briefcase out quietly as if he was very practiced at this sort of thing and once it was sitting beside them on the bed he appraised the situation in the office and hoisted the rucksack out as well.

She giggled. And he closed the portal before either Thor or Loki knew he'd even been there.

Jemma lifted the latch on the briefcase and opened it up for him. Inside were two black gauntlets, made specifically for Doctor Strange.

A smile spread across his face as he beheld them. Like two wondrous jewels made just for him… "I can't believe…" he began. He touched one gently, reverently.

"Try it on," she urged.

"Yeah." He removed the gloves he was wearing and slid his hand into one of the gauntlets. It fit perfectly.

She watched him flex his hand, and then put on the other one, pulling down his shirt cuffs over each one respectively. "Will I be able to do magic with them on?"

"Oh. I don't know but I don't see why not."

He turned away from her and cast a golden mandala, with intricate designs that seemed to circle one another. It sizzled and cracked in the air before him, and then he snapped his fingers and it disappeared. Then he stood up and tried something a little larger that he used both hands for, drawing a large sigil in the air, slowly, building it piece by piece, and sent it spinning slowly forward across the room.

She watched amazed at the beauty of it. He looked so serious, so focused on whatever it was he was creating, she found herself marveling at his graceful movements and in awe of this advanced science.

Doctor Strange caught her looking out the corner of his eye, glanced at her and smiled, showing off a little. Then he pushed the image from him and snapped his fingers again to dispel whatever he'd been creating. "These are wonderful Jemma!" he said grinning at her.

"Oh, good. How is the pain? Can you feel it? Because if you can I can do an upgrade on them… actually, I will have to do regular upgrades…" She looked down at the bed, "I hope that will be all right-"

He sat down beside her touching her cheek lightly with one hand.

Jemma looked up into his eyes.

"You're amazing. Do you know that?"

"Oh, well…" She blushed.

"I can't believe you made these for me." He set his hands on his lap and examined them once more. "I'm… at a loss for words…"

"Of course I was going to make them for you. I told you I would."

He studied her face for a moment, his dark bangs falling to one side of his face. "And, what about S.H.I.E.L.D., what do they think of this?"

"Oh, who cares what they think?"

"So, they don't know?"

She shrugged. "It's our little secret Stephen. It's my secret from S.H.I.E.L.D., but I don't see how it could honestly be a problem from them. They will benefit from it."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I just mean. It will, or should, make your life better, and you're protecting the world, so therefore, you'll be better able to protect the world and S.H.I.E.L.D. within it. Right?"

He shared a lopsided grin with her, and took one of her hands in his. "And all I did was send roses."

"I liked the roses."

"Did you?" he said catching her gaze. "You seemed so anxious to be rid of me the day Fitz punched me in the mouth."

"Oh that… well, I just didn't know how to feel at that point. I am sorry he hurt you."

He chuckled, "It's okay, no permanent damage. I probably shouldn't have been kissing someone else's girlfriend."

"But you didn't. The girlfriend kissed you."

"Right. I remember that."

"Oh do you?"

"Really well. Like, probably more times than I should be running it through my head at night, well." Then he blushed a little. "That was supposed to be a joke but I think it ended up being a little too real… God, I can't tell a joke to save my-"

Jemma leaned in and kissed him gently.

He gasped.

"I'm no one's girlfriend now," she said looking into his eyes. "So, you don't have to worry about being punched."

He lowered his eyes to the deep red bedspread, and slowly lifted them to look seriously at Jemma as if trying to decide if she was serious, or give her an opportunity to escape perhaps…

Her eyes roamed over his chiseled face, the slicked back dark hair, all except those few strands that would not stay in place and instead flopped down over his forehead. She touched his fingers gently, smiling at how well the gauntlet seemed to fit and caressed his jaw with her other hand tracing his bottom lip tenderly with her thumb. She could hear his breath coming harder now. She ran one finger over the firm but soft laugh lines on his cheek…

Jemma kissed him lightly on the lips, and as she pulled back he pushed against her, not letting her go this time. His mouth sought hers out, the hand that had been beneath hers moved to touch her jaw, while the other wrapped around her back and he pulled her into his embrace.

She felt him slowly pushing her down beneath him with his kiss. His one hand supporting her back and the other the back of her head as he moved on top of her.

They broke apart for a moment, his lips were swollen and his chest was heaving as his eyes searched her face, for what she wasn't sure, a hesitation maybe? But there was none. She ripped at the front of his robes.

The Cloak of Levitation moved to stop her.

"No," he breathed and it dropped back into place. Their eyes met for a nervous moment and Jemma tore open his robes, down to the belt, eliciting a moan from him.

She sat up and pressed her mouth against his chest, kissing him from his collarbone down the length of his chest.

He moaned again, and gasped as her tongue found his navel. She felt his fingers on the back of her head, pressing her against his body.

"Oh Jemma… god…" He trembled against her, his pelvis had come to life, and rubbed against her chest lightly. Uncertain.

She looked up at him devilishly. He met her eyes, he looked unhinged, panting… And she moved back up his body, just as slowly, using her tongue, and lapping his skin all the way back up, encircling each of his nipples in turn. Enjoying the way he, the master of the mystic arts, he, the man who was always so completely in control, was gradually losing his mind.

Doctor Strange grabbed her, when she was finally, once again within reach, and forced his mouth onto hers, pressing her down onto the mattress much more forcefully than he had the first time. His kiss was desperate, passionate, and his hands moving from her chin to her breasts as if he could take no more. He pinned her wrists down on either side of her head, and mounted her fully clothed, looking deeply into her eyes, atop of her body, and ground himself against her pubic mound slowly, deliberately, watching her face, looking for any response.

It felt so good, and he was so powerful, on top of her, she couldn't help but gasp, and squeak out some girlish sounding mewl of pleasure. A sound she only made when she was making love, a sound that she had no idea was even a part of her until she was coming undone.

His brow furrowed and he bit his lip, then fell down onto her again, releasing her wrists and kissing her.

She ran her fingers into his dark hair, a bit haphazardly, forcing him to kiss her harder. One of his hands was under her shirt, sliding upward onto her bra. And one of her hands was moving down his bare chest until it rested against his erection.

"Ah…" he gasped, his hand squeezing her breast as she explored the length and shape of him. His breath was ragged now, he was bucking against her hand. "Slow down… I can't…"

Jemma felt four buttons on the now-taunt fabric of his pants and undid the top one. This elicited a sigh and a pause from Stephen.

"No…" he moaned.

The Cloak of Levitation moved to grab her hands again.

He batted away the cloak and shucked it off. It in turn floated up against the wall and hovered there, as if watching.

"Do you really want me to stop?" she whispered into his ear.

"I just…" he breathed. "I won't be able to…"

"Oh, that's what I thought," she purred into his ear as she unfastened two more buttons and slid her fingers over his hot erection.

He gasped into her neck at the feel of skin to skin contact. Her fingers lightly brushing against him even as his body thrust against her fingers, aching for release. "Please…"

"Please what?" she hissed, and wrapped her legs around his back.

"Uh… yes…" He took hold of her leggings pulling them down, and off of her unceremoniously. Then he kissed her mouth tenderly and she felt him against her entrance, tentatively pressing inside.

She felt herself being invaded by him, stretching her open, his heavy weight on her body and forcing himself on her and in her. It was enough to make her squirm under him and cry out at how good he was making her feel, which he seemed to enjoy.

His pace quickened. "Jemma…" he whimpered into her ear.

She bit his neck as he thrust into her, and a moment later he sped up, his rhythm a bit erratic, the thrusts harder and he groaned out something like words as he spilled himself within her…

Suddenly the world exploded for her, she felt her body arching, spread wide, and riding a wave of pleasure that was nearly unending… She heard herself mewling, gasping and felt herself curling in toward his collapsed upper-body.

When she came to herself again, she opened her eyes to find him staring into them with his now greenish eyes. He looked as if he was starving and wanted to eat her up.

She smirked. "You're really good in bed."

"I'm glad you think so." His voice was deep and a little scratchy from all of the exertion they'd just had. He smiled at her in knowingly, the two of them shared this little secret. "So are you."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

"I'm glad you think so." His voice was deep and a little scratchy from all of the exertion they'd just had. He smiled at her in knowingly, the two of them shared this little secret. "So are you… I can last longer than that… I just- you just…"

She smiled at him and caressing his face, she could feel a sheen of sweat on his temple. "Why do men always think that's what women want? I like that you couldn't wait."

"Oh…" He blushed.

Jemma kissed him again gently. "But, we can try again if you really want to show me."

"Now?"

"Mm hmm…"

He rolled over on top of her, and kissed her slowly, his tongue rolling on top of hers, one hand slid down to her breast, he'd never managed to get her bra off.

"After all we have all day together," she said brightly.

"Right," he muttered a smile spreading over his face, dipping his head down lower as he worked on the bra clasp. And then he sat upright. "Oh my god, I left Thor and Loki locked in the office downstairs!"

"Oh!" Jemma sat up clutching her leggings to her body suddenly. "You don't think they know what we were doing?"

He shrugged, tucking things back into place and pulling his robes closed. "It's Loki, I'm sure he does."

Jemma hurried to her feet.

"Don't leave." He touched her shoulder firmly looking into her eyes. "Please."

"But, you're going with them aren't you?"

He heaved a sigh. "I guess I am. I don't want to go. I don't want this to end so suddenly."

She smirked at him. "So, you want to lie in bed and cuddle?"

"Definitely." His blue-green eyes searched from her eyes to her mouth and back up to her eyes again. "I'll tell you what. I'll set one of the door portals to take you back to the town the base is in, and if you want to go back you can just take that back. But, if I'm only gone a few hours then would you… will you be here when I come back?"

"Right, the door-portals…" She never wanted to use those again and she suspected that her tone of voice said as much.

"No hmm?"

"I don't trust those things."

He sighed, "Well, I can't say that I blame you. Do you want me to give you a portal back to your lab?"

"No. No, not yet. I'll stay in New York shall I? And when you come back you can call me," she said.

He nodded. "Like regular people."

"Yes, exactly." She placed her hands on his chest and he kissed her goodbye.

"I really don't want to go," he sighed but then turned and threw the Cloak of Levitation back around him, and headed for the bathroom before seeing Jemma out.

* * *

"Well gentlemen, shall we go?" Doctor Strange said as he burst into the office. He sounded out of breath, his hair and attire a bit askew.

"Where _have_ you been?!" Loki demanded. "We've been waiting here over an hour."

Stephen straightened, and smiled at him. "Do you want my help or not?"

* * *

"So, how was Mace?"

Jemma strode down the hall at the base, Daisy at her side. "Oh you know, there are over two hundred and twelve micro expressions that can betray a lie, so polygraphs are always so much fun."

Daisy shrugged. "He's still asking you questions about Thor and Loki sightings in New York?"

"Yes," she sighed. "I had to tell him. One eye dot to the left and I'm finished."

"You haven't heard from Doctor Strange since he left? What's that been now-"

"Two weeks."

"Not that you're counting?" Daisy smiled at her thoughtfully.

"He did go off with Thor and Loki, admittedly I'm a little concerned," she snapped.

Daisy held up her hands in mock surrender, "I'm sorry." And held the door for her as they walked out toward the Zephyr.

Coulson greeted them as they climbed aboard, Mack, Yo-Yo and May were inside. "Hey, good to have the gang back together."

"Most of the gang," May said.

"Well…" Agent Coulson smiled warmly. "It's not as if the Director is going to let us all work together anytime soon."

"No," Jemma said stashing her rucksack in an overhead bin. Mack came over to help her out.

"Short people," he muttered.

"Oh whatever Mack," Yo-Yo said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, this is going to be great," Coulson said as the plane took off.

Jemma settled down onto a sofa and check her phone. Nothing. She'd been in New York for about five days, waiting, swimming in the hotel pool, having dinner alone, watching movies in her room, surfing the web… before she finally gave up and flew home.

Daisy plopped down on a chair facing her, and called out to Coulson who was in conversation with May. "So, he can destroy entire city blocks when he opens his mouth?"

"You read the file," he said dryly as he turned around. May headed down the hall away from them.

"Yeah, I read it. Inhuman I'm guessing?"

"Mm hmm."

"Wyoming," Jemma murmured as she pulled out her tablet.

There was an odd sizzling sound, and a flash of light that caused the five of them to turn toward the hall May had just exited down.

And Doctor Strange stepped into the room carrying two dozen roses.

Jemma's eyes widened and she leaped to her feet. "Stephen!"

On closer inspection she realized he was bloodied and bruised, his hair was singed in the front and he was bleeding from a gash on his chest.

"I hope you don't mind," he said breathlessly as he walked into the room toward Jemma.

"Oh my gosh!" She reached for his bleeding face but he pushed the roses at her at the same time.

"Thank you," she said taking them. "What happened?"

"Well," he took a step back. "I stopped at a florist on my way over here."

She smiled at him. "What, did you just fight some battle and stop off for flowers?"

He wobbled a little, "Yeah."

"I am not looking forward to the next polygraph," Mack muttered.

Coulson approached them. "Sit down Doctor Strange," he said motioning to the sofa.

"Yes, please do."

"Okay." He nodded and stumbled forward, grabbing Jemma's shoulder for support and falling heavily onto the black sofa Jemma had just vacated.

"Where have you been?" Daisy asked. "Did Loki do this to you?"

He waved away that notion as Jemma ran to get some medical supplies. "Surtur-"

"Surtur?!" Coulson said incredulously.

"No, no, no," Mack turned away, "I am not hearing this."

"I was in Asgard," Stephen said breathlessly. "You wouldn't believe…"

"And, here we are with some Betadine and bandages," Jemma said attempting to save them all from the lie detector tests she knew they'd be getting. "Why don't you try to relax Stephen, you look exhausted."

He smiled faintly at her. "I do feel sleepy now that I'm sitting down." He gazed at her in a sort of stupor. "Thank you doctor."

"Now then," she dabbed at his split lip with the Betadine.

He hissed.

Daisy stood, gathering up a file and moved out of the room, following Coulson, Mack and Yo-Yo.

"It hurts really? Betadine?"

"Just… bruised."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She poured a little more onto the gauze and touched the cut on the side of his face. "This must've been some epic battle."

He only nodded.

She snapped a cold-pack and pressed it against the side of his head.

Stephen shook awake.

"Here, hold this to your eye, it looks a bit swollen."

"I'm going to fall asleep on this sofa, on this S.H.I.E.L.D. plane… which was not my plan."

"Oh?" she said smiling at him as he was clearly fighting sleep.

"No. I wanted to see you. You don't have to patch me up, all of this is just superficial."

"Really?" Her eyes focused on the gash on his chest. "Because that looks like it needs stitches."

He looked down immediately to examine his own wound. "Hmm… yeah, okay, that one might."

She smiled up at him. "I cannot believe you came here with roses."

Doctor Strange set down the ice-pack and reached for her, smoothing her dark hair against the side of her face gently. He looked into her eyes. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she said quickly. A little too quickly. She sounded eager, hopefully not needy. She wasn't certain how she was going to, what with all of his wounds, but she really wanted to kiss him. She moved to angle her head so that she could kiss him in an uninjured spot.

He, on the other hand, wasn't paying too much attention to his own injuries and simply kissed her on the mouth and then pulled away a little painfully.

"Where aren't you bruised?"

"Uhm…" He smirked a little. "I'm not sure. I'm a bit of a glass cannon."

This piqued her interest, and she sat down by his side. "Are you?" She'd never actually seen him fight before.

He smiled at her a little lopsidedly, which looked amusing because of the bruise that was blowing out his lip. "Thor and Loki did come looking for my help."

She couldn't help but smile. He was trying to impress her. Although what he was saying was true, the Asgardians needed him. Jemma felt his bicep, which was pretty large… not Captain America large but Captain America didn't handle the Darkhold or create portals to other dimensions or travel astrally or...

His eyes moved from his bicep to her face quizzically as she had this conversation with herself in her own head.

"You are very strong," she said playfully.

He moved in to kiss her and then pulled back grimacing. "Ow… I want to kiss you so badly too."

She placed the cold-pack on his lip.

"Thanks," he said sighing, a bit defeated.

"Perhaps when you are well?"

"What is my prognosis doctor?"

"Oh, I think the swelling should go down in the next few hours."

"And then?"

"And then… I think you'll be able to do whatever you'd like with your mouth," she said.

"Hmm…" he chuckled, seeming to take some comfort in that answer. He settled back against the sofa more contentedly.

She got up. "C'mon."

"Uh, where are we going?"

"To my bunk. You need some rest, unless you'd like us to work around you as you sprawl out on our sofa?" she said, holding out a hand.

He pushed himself up as she hoisted him to his feet. "I usually can't sleep while I'm flying."

"You managed all right in a freezing cave," she said as they walked down the hall together. It wasn't far. Their living area had all the comforts of home, kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, lab…

He nodded. "That wasn't likely to fall out of the sky."

They reached her door, and she let herself inside with her access card. "Well, if we fall out of the sky, you will catch us. You can do things like that as I understand?"

He furrowed his brow as he followed her inside. "How do you know that?"

"I read your file."

"Oh," he said rolling his eyes.

Jemma folded down a bunk. "Which one would you like, top or bottom?"

"Uhm…"

She sat down on the bottom bunk, and patted the mattress.

He sat down beside her, and looked around the small, stark room that had nothing more than bunks and bins for clothing. "I feel like I'm on a cruise."

"Get some sleep Stephen, I'll be here when you wake up." She kissed his cheek tenderly.

He made a quick grab for her hand as she stood.

"Yes?"

Now that he had ahold of her, he looked uncertain. "I, um…"

She wondered if he was all right, really all right. Yes, he'd gotten a bit roughed up, but she had no idea what he'd done, or what he'd seen… "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he said dropping her hand. "Thank you for… taking care of me."

"Oh, don't be silly. Of course I'm going to take care of you." She took a step closer and leaned down to kiss his jaw, because she couldn't kiss his lips and she pulled him into an embrace.

He sighed against her, it was the sound of someone who had endured something horribly frightening and needed reassurance.

"What happened on Asgard?" she whispered into his ear; now she smelled the burned hair.

He pulled her closer, shaking slightly.

"It's all right, it's all right." She smoothed his hair and kissed his jaw again.

He released a sort of laugh sort of sob sound and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

The feel of him there, in her room, his scent of cinnamon and battle and just being so near him made her shiver with sheer electricity. All of this brought to mind the last time they'd been together two weeks ago in the Sanctum, in his room… She clung to him, slowly lowered her lips to his neck and kissed him lightly.

She could hear a rubble in his chest. A sort of growl, as if he'd been awakened, and he lifted his head surprised. His eyes met hers, hopeful, his mouth parted slightly. And she closed her eyes and kissed his neck again softly, sucking enough to break the blood vessels and leave a slight mark. She heard him utter a soft moan and continued, placing a gentle kiss on his Adam's apple and lowering him to the mattress.

He lay down there, exhausted and weak. One arm dangling off the side of the bed holding a cold-pack in his hand as she crouched over him like an animal of prey feeding on his succulent flesh.

Jemma opened up his robes more gently this time. Pushing aside a large golden pendant she hadn't seen before. He was bleeding, and bruised. She examined the gash on his chest clinically, putting on her glasses.

"How does it look doctor?" he said, his voice sounded a bit raspy.

"I still think you'll need stitches," she said, but instead pulled out a syringe full of saline, a bandage from a lower bin, some medical tape and a towel. Setting it all out on the mattress beside her, she opened up the package with the syringe, and began to irrigate the wound.

"This is not where I thought things were heading," he said, dropping the cold-pack to the floor.

Her eyes flicked up at him, "Well, I can't leave this unaddressed in good conscience."

"Please tell me stitches are not the next step."

She smirked. "Uhm, no." Once the syringe had been emptied she picked up the wet towel and dropped them both on the floor. Then ripped open the bandage and applied it to the gash with medical tape.

"Good as new," he murmured. Her hair dangled down precariously onto his stomach, the light touch causing goose bumps on his skin.

She appraised his newly bandaged body, and the gooseflesh covering his torso. "Oh, did you enjoy that?"

He exhaled a nervous-sounding breath, and moved to cross his legs.

Jemma glanced down and realized he was hard, and was trying to conceal this fact from her. She raised an eyebrow and met his eyes, "Apparently so."

"It wasn't the irrigation…"

"Oh no?" She lowered her lips to his torso once more, her hair brushing his skin, and her warm breath on his stomach. She could feel him tense and hiss as she kissed him. His reaction was driving her further and further down his abs, gently grazing the bruises.

His breath was catching in his throat as she slowly worked down his pants. Her tongue tracing just beneath the waistband, teasingly. His head was pressed down onto her pillow, his robes open and belt unfastened and lying partly on the floor. She appraised him while he lay there, his abs, and pecks and his weakened form on her bunk, he'd been battered and she wanted to give him some release…

Jemma unbuttoned his pants and his erection burst from its confinement, shivering in the cool air.

He gasped before he could catch himself and covered his face with one hand, effectively stopping up his mouth as her tongue found his member, and she took him in her mouth. After some gentle stroking and sucking, the top of his head was pressed deep into her pillow, his chin pointing at the sky as he tensed.

Stephen moaned, this time a bit louder. She was certain anyone in a nearby cabin had heard. His body arched, and she knew he was close. Jemma stopped sucking but began to stroke him faster.

His eyes met hers and he came; gasping.

"And now," Jemma said reaching for tissues. "I want you to get some sleep."

He took her hand as he breathed heavily, still caught up in the moment. "Jemma…"

She crawled over his mostly naked form and planted a kiss on his neck.

"Stay with me for a little while," he breathed. His eyes searched hers. They hadn't been together in ages, and even the last time they'd seen each other, which had been the first, and only, time they'd had sex, he hadn't been able to stay.

She considered work briefly. They didn't really need her to do anything at the moment, she was just flying to Wyoming anyhow.

Jemma smiled at him. "Oh, all right. I doubt they'll miss me anyhow."

He pulled her down toward him, so that they could cuddle up on her bunk. She rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped one arm around her, pulling up his pants with his other and readjusting at the same time.

"Afraid someone might walk in?"

He smirked, "A little, and it's cold."

"This is nothing, you should try Antarctica."

"Oh really? Was it that bad?" he said chuckling, and pulling her close. The bunk was very small, and didn't afford either of them very much space.

"It wasn't so bad no. After all I did get to know a very interesting man there." She readjusted so that they were both sharing the pillow, lying face to face. Her head was up on one of her hands.

"He sounds dreamy," Doctor Strange said.

"Oh, he was. But also kind of an arrogant sort of fellow."

"Definitely dreamy then."

She tried to poke him in the stomach but the Cloak caught her hand.

Doctor Strange glanced down at her hand caught by his Cloak and raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Hey!" Jemma said.

Stephen removed the Cloak but kept his own hand around her wrist. "And… I was stranded with this irrepressible brunette who always had an answer for everything, and was unfathomably beautiful." He met her eyes.

"Really?" Jemma blushed. "Beautiful hmm?"

"And a know-it-all."

"But, a beautiful know-it-all."

"Mm hmm." He touched her hair gently, smoothing down a long strand against her cheek, and onto her sweater-vest. His blue-green eyes examined her face making her feel a little self-conscious. "You have the darkest eyes."

"Do I?" Her voice pitched a little.

"Yes," he breathed. "I could fall right in."

Now she was seriously blushing.

"Am I embarrassing you?"

She looked down at his open robes, after what had just happened in that very room, nothing should embarrass her at all and yet… "Of, of course not."

His eyes fell to her sweater-vest. She held her breath. He slowly touched her breast through the soft sweater material, cupping them and massaging them gently over the thick material, which made her breath catch in her throat. She could feel her nipples hardening against her bra cups.

Stephen leaned in and wrapped one arm around her back, sliding it up under her button-up and unfastened the bra hook. He smiled at her, probably relieved that he'd finally gotten that thing unhooked.

He moved around to the front of her shirt and with a deliberate slow pace, he unbuttoned each button under the low cut sweater-vest, then softly pushed the shirt to the sides.

She could feel herself beginning to tremble with the anticipation of his touch. Her breasts seemed the focus of her being and eager for some attention. Her breath coming hard and being that the two of them had very little space between them she was positive that he knew it too. The cotton fabric of the button-up brushed against her nipples lightly sending a pleasant thrill through her. She gasped.

Doctor Strange looked directly into her eyes, and she felt herself go limp, he had completely taken charge of the situation.

He reached under her shirt and lifted each breast up so that they were being held up by the low cut sweater-vest. They were completely on display, and he was right, it was a little cold in there. Her nipples were bright pink and swollen.

She heard him sigh as he touched them, his thumb rubbing a nipple so desperate for attention. She gasped again, and this seemed to encourage him. The light fondling turning becoming a little rougher massaging. Jemma arched her chest, pressing into his hands.

He lowered his head and licked her there. His breath was hot. His tongue warm.

"Oh…" she moaned. And then she felt his hand on her ass, so that he had his mouth on her breast and one hand groping her behind and she thought she might lose it right then. "Oh, S, Stephen…"

His fingers trailed under her waistband and slowly brushed under her panties, plunging into her gently at first. She squirmed in his arms breathlessly as he held her tightly, in place. His mouth suckling on her breast and his fingers plunging into her over and over again until she could take no more. Her body was rocked with a wave of sweetness, and she heard herself cry out.

"Oh Jemma," he whispered into her hair. Stephen pulled one of her hands forward and set it on his now rock-hard erection. His breath came out ragged and the look in his eye was that of a predator. He climbed on top of her. "May I?" he whispered into her ear.

"Yes," she uttered still coming down from her own high. Her body was now limp and completely pliable.

Doctor Strange slid into her easily, sighing and picking up speed quickly. After a few moments he put one hand, splayed, on one of her breasts and squeezed it as he thrust inside of her, deeper, harder; breathing hard, and then he moaned spilling himself inside her.

The two of them lay together in a tangled heap, trying to catch their breaths, for several moments before he eventually rolled off and collapsed to one side.

"Doctor Strange, you really should get some rest."

He chuckled. "Sleep with me."

"I think I just did."

He turned to smile at her. "No, I actually mean _sleep,"_ he breathed.

Jemma readjusted her shirt and pants. "I think I'm going to need a shower."

"Does your room have a shower?"

"Unfortunately not. Communal bathroom down the hall."

"Oh no…"

"Afraid so."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Doctor Strange film and characters and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and characters are owned by Marvel. I claim nothing besides my genius.**

 **Disclaimer #2: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Strange movie and for the 4** **th** **season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

~A BioStrange Story~

 **No Other**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

 _Graceless lady, you know who I am_

 _You know I can't let you slide through my hands_

 _Wild horses couldn't drag me away_

 _Wild horses couldn't drag me away…_

 _~The Sundays_

* * *

"Jemma?

She moved slightly. She thought she'd heard something, but it was probably nothing. She was warm and cozy and her body hurt and her muscles felt strained… she needed sleep…

"Jemma?!" There was knocking.

"Uh?" Jemma opened up her eyes. She was in her cabin, on the Zephyr? And Doctor Strange was lying pressed up against her, breathing into her face, one arm thrown over her body pinning her to the mattress. And then she remembered: _Ohmygod I fell asleep! I fell asleep at work!_

"Jemma?"

"Yes! Yes, all right." She crawled out from under Stephen, who turned over onto his back never waking, and made her way to the door hastily putting her pants and bra back on and buttoning up her shirt.

"Jemma are you okay in there?" It was Daisy's voice, well that was good anyhow.

Jemma opened the door a crack. "Of course. I'm fine." She grinned.

Daisy's eyes drifted further into the room and then she tilted her head to one side as if appraising something behind Jemma.

Jemma turned around and saw Stephen lying half naked on his back, one arm and one leg dangling onto the floor. The bunk really wasn't suited for two people and he was barely on his side.

"Not bad. More buff than I gave him credit for. Sorry, I didn't realize I was walking in on anything… carnal."

"Carnal? Why, I don't know what you mean." Jemma faced Daisy blushing while tossing her jacket over his body, and barricading the door from further peeking. "What is it I can help you with?"

"Well, Coulson would like you to attend a meeting in the lab once you're ready."

"Right. I'll be with him in just a moment."

"I'll let him know," Daisy said and then a quizzical look crossed her face.

Jemma could feel something brush up against her back, and when she turned to look she discovered the Cloak of Levitation floating behind her as if it was curious and had come to see who was at the door. She looked back at Daisy. "Just the, the Cloak of Levitation," she said her voice pitching a bit. She attempted to push it out of the way so that she could get back inside while shutting the door and talking to Daisy through the crack. "Just two minutes!"

"Okay…" Daisy's bewildered expression said it all. She was living in the weirdest place right now, but that was S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't it?

Jemma turned back around her eyes lingering on Stephen's body lying there calling her back into bed with him without ever uttering a word… She wanted so badly to be able to sleep a little longer alongside him, her hand gently curled under his own on his naked chest. She sighed a little. He was breathing deeply, exhausted from all that had transpired between them and whatever had happened on Asgard. She'd have to get the scoop on that later.

Opening up a bin as quietly as she could she pulled out a towel and then hastily scribbled out a note to him, and left for the communal shower.

* * *

Stephen woke up. His eyes focused on the white ceiling above him, and then glancing to one side he saw the Cloak of Levitation floating beside him. His back hurt; what was this mattress he was on? He was warm and… damp. His face hurt, and his ribs… He sat up and hit his head on something. Looking up he ascertained it was another bunk… he was in a bunk bed, so that wasn't the ceiling he'd been staring up at, at all.

Jemma's room in the Zephyr. Now he remembered. He'd assisted Thor and now he was with S.H.I.E.L.D.

A post-it note fell to the floor. Apparently it had been stuck to his chest… He leaned down to pick it up and nearly fell off the bunk.

 _Stephen, I am in the lab if you wake up and want to come find me._

 _xox Jemma_

He smiled to himself.

* * *

Freshly showered, combed and dressed Stephen wandered back down the hallway he'd come with Jemma earlier that day. It must've been evening by now.

"Doctor Strange?" A dark haired woman dressed in black was walking toward him. She had a tough, suspicious look on her face.

He nodded.

"Agent May."

"Oh, hello. Do you know where Jemma is?"

"Uh huh, c'mon I'll take you to her."

A couple hallways later they were in the lab.

Mack and Daisy were hanging around watching Jemma work. They looked up as he and May walked in.

"Hurt yourself?" Mack asked.

Stephen's brow furrowed, "What?"

Mack gestured toward him. "Your neck."

He touched his throat tentatively. "Wha-" And then he realized, Jemma had probably left a mark when she was sucking on it earlier. "You wouldn't believe the insects they have on Asgard."

"Nope," Mack said as he walked away.

May smirked, and then motioned toward Jemma who was inside a glass room. "Agent Simmons."

"Thank you Agent May."

She nodded and walked away as well leaving he and Daisy alone.

He glanced over at her hesitantly and caught her staring at his robes, one hand rubbing her jaw as if contemplating something.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

His eyes followed hers to the Eye of Agamotto, "The Eye of Agamotto? It's a powerful-"

"I just wouldn't think a guy like you would…"

He met her eyes. "What?"

She sneered. "Nice abs."

He wasn't quite certain he'd heard her right but she managed to run off before he could come up with a quippy response. He sighed to himself. _I'll bet Thor doesn't have to put up with this._ And then he wondered how she had seen his abs at all.

Doctor Strange tapped on the door to the lab.

Jemma looked up from whatever it was she was working on and smiled when she saw him. Setting down her work goggles and slipping off her rubber gloves she got up and unlocked the door. "Stephen."

He cupped her jaw with both hands, lowered his head and kissed her tenderly.

She sighed as he pulled back, and lifted her eyes to look into his.

His split lip hurt a little but the puffiness had shrunk back down to a normal size. "I-"

"Jemma!" Coulson waved as he rounded the corner.

Stephen dropped his hands to his sides. "-Think you're an incredible bio-chemist," he said smiling at her.

She stiffened a bit now that Agent Coulson had walked in on them. "Why, thank you Doctor Strange."

"Doctor Strange," Coulson said to him as he came toward them. "Good to see you're feeling better."

"Thank you." He moved out of the way so that Coulson and Jemma could speak.

"Jemma, did you get that substance analyzed?"

"Nearly done with it."

Stephen's attention drifted as the agents talked shop, over the microscope and phials that sat on a surgically clean white counter, beside them was a large beaker with two dozen roses in it. He immediately looked back at Jemma, whose mouth drew into a little closed smile as she listened to Coulson, or maybe pretended to. She glanced at Stephen knowingly.

Doctor Strange smiled, but then covered his mouth with one hand as Coulson's attention was now on him.

Phil Coulson glanced from one to the other, as if issuing a warning. Reprimanding them silently from being too flirty while she was working.

Suddenly there was a sizzling sound, something he'd heard a thousand times but before he could turn toward it-

"Hello Stephen." A heavy hand grabbed his shoulder and he pulled back turning to see who it was-

"Mordo!"

"I've been looking for you."

"What do you want?"

Coulson's hand went for his gun.

Mordo's eyes fell upon the Eye of Agamotto, and then he met Doctor Strange's eyes.

Stephen's hand flew to protect the Eye.

Mordo looked at Coulson suddenly and leaped toward him, flying through the air and grabbing the gun, firing off several shots shooting holes in the ceiling, pinging off of metal tables and smashing some phials near Stephen.

Jemma ducked under a table.

Doctor Strange pulled a magical whip from thin air, golden and sizzling, and swung it at Mordo knocking him to one side.

Coulson fell down in the other direction, hitting an emergency button.

Mordo lunged at Stephen, but he deflected the blow with the whip sending Mordo reeling toward the other side of the room, where he landed drawing a shining mandala in the air and before Stephen could get over to him he'd thrown it at the wall where it exploded ripping a hole in the side of the plane.

Coulson grabbed a door-frame with his mechanical arm. Papers and garbage flew through the air. The suction was pulling everything out the open hole and into the sky.

"Oh my god!" Jemma screamed clinging to a table that was fast sliding across the floor.

Doctor Strange fell, grasping a counter that was bolted to the floor. "Hold on Jemma!" He opened the Eye of Agamotto with his other hand using only the one hand and the Eye to cast a spell as calmly and rapidly as he could.

Jemma went skidding across the floor out the side of the plane with the beakers and phials and roses…

Doctor Strange sent the spell out the side of the plane. A giant, crackling green net, that Jemma fell into.

Mordo was holed up in the corner of the room beside the crater he'd blasted into the plane.

"Got yourself attached to her did you?" Mordo asked motioning toward the outside of the plane. "You always were sentimental Stephen." Both of Mordo's hands were free to cast with, and he began to cast a spell to dismantle the spell that Stephen had just cast to save Jemma.

"I don't have time for you Mordo." Stephen levitated into the air, the Cloak allowing him to soar over to his former ally.

Coulson's hand slipped and he slid across the floor grasping at the edge of a counter, his last perch before he was pulled out of the plane completely. He glanced up, out into the sky to find Jemma climbing the magical net back toward him as the plane was flying haphazardly through the sky.

"Jemma!"

Daisy, Yo-Yo and Mack came racing into the room. Mack and Yo-Yo were instantly sucked out of the plane knocking into Coulson and sending him flying out into the massive glowing net Doctor Strange had cast. Daisy managed to catch herself before she got into the room, but now was pressed against the glass on the one side of the door, peeking into the room through the doorway.

Mordo jumped to his feet, the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr sent him careening into Doctor Strange before he could finish the spell he'd been casting. Stephen grappled with him, throwing him off and knocking him back with a punch, which he was now able to do with Jemma's wonderful new gauntlets. He wanted to punch him and keep on punching him for nearly killing Jemma but he knew he was no match for Mordo physically.

Mordo touched his bloody lip and chuckled. "Very good Stephen, I see you've been practicing. Unfortunately, I'm better." Once more he attempted to cut the magical net Stephen was using to save the team.

"No!" Stephen recast the spell-net and caught Jemma, Coulson, Mack and Yo-Yo as Mordo destroyed his original spell, and the team fell several feet landing in a second net. This time Doctor Strange held it together with one hand, while attempting to fight Mordo with the other.

"Pity to have to kill you Strange. I always saw a sort of strength in you-"

There was a low rumble and Mordo was blasted backward into the portal he'd come from, and the plane rocked hard. Stephen glanced to his right, Daisy had used her powers. She was pressed into the glass, her arms extended through the doorway, barely able to move with the suction pulling them toward the open sky.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly, and with one wave of his right hand closed the portal Mordo had come through.

"Will he be back?!" Daisy called to him.

"There's no telling." And with that he flew out the side of the plane.

The Zephyr was struggling to stay aloft.

He flew all around the plane to get a good look at it. May was piloting the plane and her eyes widened as he flew toward her, and then he drew out a golden sphere before him, a golden, crackling fractal of light that he gently pushed toward the plane and it surrounded the Zephyr stabilizing it and keeping it in flight. He motioned for May to land it.

She flew it into a flat open spans of land, luckily they were in Wyoming, and with the help of Doctor Strange was able to land the plane without any further injures.

* * *

Doctor Strange glided back to the ground and released the people still clumped together in the magical net.

Jemma staggered to get to her feet, and he went to her quickly. "Stephen!" She shook as he captured her in his arms.

"Are you all right?" He kissed her cheek, and held her tightly to his body. "I was so afraid…"

"Yes," she sobbed.

"Jemma, oh Jemma," he whispered into her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said her voice cracking.

Stephen lifted her up into his arms and kissed her tenderly. One hand in her dark hair, the other around her waist.

Coulson clapped him on the shoulder. "You did okay back there."

Stephen paid him no attention.

"You saved our lives."

Doctor Strange smiled at Jemma, "Hold on." They levitated into the air, not too high, just over the treetops and away from the Zephyr.

"They just want to thank you," Jemma said clinging to him.

He smiled. "They can thank me later. Right now I think I'd like some dinner, how about you?"

"Dinner? After all that? I don't know, what were you thinking?"

"Hmm… maybe somewhere warm," Doctor Strange said.

"Like, on a beach?"

"Yeah, that sounds right. Somewhere on the water."

"Perhaps Greece?" Jemma said brightly.

The Cloak of Levitation stopped in mid-air and Stephen drew a portal in the air. Within they could see a familiar beach, and the ocean licking the shore. This time the breeze seemed warmer.

He smiled at her, "After you."

Jemma held his hand and stepped into the portal, and he followed.

THE END

* * *

 _I hope everyone enjoyed this unusual pairing as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life. After watching Doctor Strange I really wanted to toy around with the character a bit and see who he was and thus, this fanfic was born. Thank you to everyone who read along with my postings._

 _Yours,_

 _Doc_


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